Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Glycaemic Control, Metabolic Status, Treatment Adherence, Quality of Life in Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Tertiary Care Hospital of Eastern India

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Many medical and social challenges have been noticed during lockdowns and restrictions in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions had a profound impact on people’s lifestyle and caused psychological distress. In the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus, lifestyle modifications, such as nutritional intervention and proper physical activity, are important aspects. Aims/objective:To study the effect of lockdown or self-imposed restrictions due to pandemic on glycaemic control in diabetes mellitus patients and the possible determinants, including diet, sleep, physical activity, psychological status and adherence to treatment. Materials and methods:A comparative analysis of the glycaemic status and metabolic parameters (such as random blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, weight, hypoglycaemia and lipid profile), lifestyle and psychological changes and treatment adherence was done in 103 patients. Retrospective pre-lockdown data was collected from the clinical records and interviews (offline, online or by telephone). Prospective lockdown/restrictions data was questionnaire based. Chi-square test was used to analyse categorical data and ANOVA for continuous data. Results:The majority of patients were in the age group of 40-60 years. Most of them reported disturbance in their adherence to proper diet, physical activity, sleep and medication schedule. These differences of opinion were statistically significant (p <0.00001). There were more patients who reported stress and anxiety and this difference was statistically significant. Deterioration of glycaemic control and lipid profile was highly significant (p <0.00001). Mean body weight was increased by 6.67% at the end of the study and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion:In patients with diabetes, pandemic-related restrictions had a profound impact on the glycaemic control, metabolic status, adherence to medication and quality of life. This highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach in managing patients with diabetes, focusing on various issues, including prevalence of poor diet control, physical inactivity and psychological stress, via various awareness and counselling programs, preferably through online mode.