(16:19)

,
London, July 20 (IANS)| Patients infected with COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, especially in the three months following infection. This is revealed in a new research. Scientists are increasingly recognizing COVID-19 as a multi-system condition that can cause disease throughout the body, possibly by triggering pathways that lead to inflammation.

Researchers at King’s College in London analyzed more than 428,000 COVID patients and an equal number of unidentified medical records and concluded that diabetes and heart disease are more common in COVID patients than those who have never had the infection.

The analysis, published in the open access journal PLOS Medicine, showed that 81 percent of Covid patients were diagnosed with diabetes in the first four weeks after being infected with the virus. Their risk had increased to 27 percent by 12 weeks after infection.

COVID was associated with a six-fold increase in overall heart diagnoses, primarily due to the development of pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) and irregular heartbeat. The risk of a new heart disease diagnosis began to decrease five weeks after infection and returned to baseline levels or decreased within a year to 12 weeks.

However, the researchers also noted that COVID infection is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.

Based on these findings, the team recommended that doctors advise their patients to reduce their risk of diabetes through a healthy diet and exercise.

The team said, “The information from this large population-based study on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular status and the development of diabetes will be extremely valuable to doctors managing the millions of people who have had COVID-19.” It is clear from this that special vigilance is needed, at least in the first 3 months after being infected with Kovid-19.

–IANS

read this also – Click to read the news of your state / city before the newspaper