DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: Covid can leave you with type 2 DIABETES –

Just when you thought it was safe to take off the full mask, Covid is back again.

But while recent research suggests rates are high among those over 55 (and many of my friends who have survived previous waves have left), there are also encouraging signs that the worst is in the past, at least here in the UK. this coronavirus is entering the stage where we can learn to live with it.

However, the successive waves of Covid-19 have left many health problems behind. Among them is the long-term Covid, which is estimated to affect at least 1.3 million Britons.

And new research shows that most people with long-term Covid symptoms may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, sharing a long-term Covid-like symptom: fatigue.

This is common in people who develop type 2 diabetes because their cells lose their ability to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood. We’ve known for a long time that people with type 2 diabetes are more vulnerable to getting sick and dying if they get Covid.

But research in the United States and Germany has shown that getting the infection can cause type 2 diabetes, especially (but not limited to) people who are overweight or obese.

A German study based on the medical records of nearly nine million people showed that those who contracted COVID were 28% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the months following, compared to a group with another form. respiratory tract infection.

The results of the American study were even more surprising. Researchers looked at the medical records of nearly 200,000 Americans and found that people with Covid were 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who were not infected, and were three times more likely to develop diabetes if contracted. . He was hospitalized with Covid.

This was not a problem as the patients still had dangerously high blood sugar levels more than a year later.

Studies in the United States and Germany have shown that contracting the infection can cause type 2 diabetes, particularly (but not limited to) people who are overweight or obese. A coronavirus patient will be hospitalized in January 2021

This study showed that being overweight doubles the risk of developing diabetes after Covid.

So what’s going on? It is known that the infection overstimulates the immune system, which can lead to chronic inflammation – one theory is that this could predispose people who currently have pre-diabetes (high blood sugar) to full-blown diabetes.

These new findings are bad news not only for those affected, but also for the NHS, which is currently struggling to cope with the current workload. But the good news is that research in recent years, largely led by Newcastle University Professor Roy Taylor, has shown that many people who develop type 2 diabetes can get their blood sugar back to normal without medication. lose weight fast. And there is no reason to believe that cases caused by Covid will be any different. Losing weight will also help if you have type 2 diabetes but are not overweight (which is the case in about 10% of patients).

This was confirmed in another study last week by Professor Taylor and team involving 20 people with type 2 diabetes but with an average BMI of 24.8 (i.e. in the ‘healthy’ range).

Patients followed a rapid weight loss diet of 800 calories per day until they lost about 10% of their original body weight.

Surprisingly, half of them reported their blood sugar levels within weeks of starting – despite not taking any medication – and within 12 months of starting the study, 70% were in remission with their blood sugar levels. healthy.

The study also found that the rapid weight loss diet led to dramatic reductions in body fat levels, particularly in the pancreas and liver, as well as significant improvements in blood pressure. And perhaps more surprisingly, patients said they had no problem maintaining their weight for 12 months.

Professor Taylor told me that in these patients “it is enough to lose about 6 kilos to eliminate diabetes”.

He also says that the main reason people develop type 2 is because they exceed their “personal fat threshold,” which varies from person to person, which would explain why you can still develop it with a BMI below 25.

Therefore, if you have Covid and now have symptoms such as tiredness or feeling very thirsty and urinating more often, you may want your family doctor to check your blood sugar. Or you can buy a blood glucose test kit online or at the pharmacy.

Most people who get Covid do not develop type 2 diabetes, but you are at greater risk if you are over 40, have a close relative (such as a parent or sibling), and are significantly overweight.

The sooner you notice that your blood sugar is rising, the sooner you can take action.

I take statins to prevent heart disease, but there is growing evidence that they have other benefits. The most recent research that interested me from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that people who take statins have an average 16% lower risk of developing parkinsonism (conditions such as tremors, slowed movement, and stiffness) over a period of time. six months old. one year period.

One more reason to keep taking those pills.

Scales falling from our eyes

The next time someone calls you fish-faced, don’t be offended. Our distant ancestors evolved in the seas, and when you look in the mirror you can find traces of it in the groove of the upper lip (filter).

Ultrasound examination of human embryos shows that our eyes begin on the sides of our heads, like those of a fish, before continuing.

Our upper lip and chin began as gill-like structures in the neck, with our nostrils initially on the top of the head, before descending.

The place where all these different parts meet and merge in your mother’s womb is your filter.

New research also shows that we can thank a distant ancestor in the sea for hearing. Researchers have found that a gene called pou-iv, which gives sea anemones a sense of touch, also allows us to feel.

It turned out that sea anemones have hairs on their tentacles that resemble the hairs in our inner ear, which our bodies use to convert vibrations into sound.

The sea anemone uses these hairs to detect the movements of the prey. It seems that our distant ancestor sea anemones developed these feathers hundreds of millions of years ago, but now we use them for different purposes. A good example of evolution recycling is a good idea.

Our upper lip and chin started out as gill-like structures on the neck, while our nostrils were initially on the top of the head, before moving down.

The table that keeps men in line

I recently went to Schiphol in Amsterdam and saw a picture of a fly painted on the urinals of the men’s restroom. The idea behind this is that it provides a “target” and therefore reduces spills. Since painted flies were introduced at the airport in 1999, they have reduced cleaning costs by about 80%.

This is a particularly famous example of the “nudge theory” where you try to force people to change their behavior without realizing they are being pushed.

It is also used in grocery stores, where chocolates and other unhealthy treats are piled up at the end of the aisles or at the checkout counter.

I recently went to Schiphol in Amsterdam and saw a picture of a fly painted on the urinals of the men’s restroom. The idea behind this is that it provides a “target” thereby reducing spills.

Supermarkets force us to buy very profitable but extremely unhealthy delicacies this way. But people can also be encouraged to make healthier choices. I was once part of a television experiment where they placed a life-size cutaway outside the entrance of a supermarket, smiling and holding a handful of vegetables. This resulted in a 15% increase in fruit and vegetable sales.

Placing arrows on the floor pointing to stairs has been used to encourage people not to use the elevator: One study found that this was a 19% increase in stair use.

The nudge theory has also been applied to organ transplants. While people are generally willing to donate their organs, they are rarely able to fill out a donation card, so these days you have to opt out of the donation program rather than sign up.

The poke theory is so important that I felt compelled to snap a photo of Schiphol urinals to post on Instagram.

Not surprisingly, I have some weird looks!