Diabetes may increase long COVID risk

Researchers reviewed studies that tracked people for at least four weeks.

(Reuters) - Diabetes may increase the risk of long COVID, new analyses of seven previous studies suggest.

Researchers reviewed studies that tracked people for at least four weeks after COVID-19 recovery to see which individuals developed persistent symptoms associated with long COVID such as brain fog, skin conditions, depression, and shortness of breath.

In three of the studies, people with diabetes were up to four times more likely to develop long COVID compared to people without diabetes, according to a presentation on Sunday at the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

The researchers said diabetes appears to be "a potent risk factor" for long COVID but their findings are preliminary because the studies used different methods, definitions of long COVID, and follow-up times, and some looked at hospitalized patients while others focused on people with milder cases of COVID-19.

"More high-quality studies across multiple populations and settings are needed to determine if diabetes is indeed a risk factor" for long COVID, the researchers said. "In the meantime, careful monitoring of people with diabetes... may be advised" after COVID-19.