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. 2022 Apr 21;17(2):219–230. doi: 10.1177/15598276221084923

Table 2.

Summary of Changes in Glycemic Parameters During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Study Subjects Take-Home Points
Karatas S. et al. (2021) 25 N = 85 adults with type 2 diabetes in Istanbul, Turkey
Mean age: 54.81 years
Female: 68.2%
Mean BMI: 33.44 kg/m2
Duration of diabetes: 11.71 years
Mean HbA1c: 8.52%
N = 55 non-diabetic (control) subjects in Istanbul, Turkey
Mean age: 52.61 years
Female: 56.4%
Mean BMI: 31.63 kg/m2
Mean HbA1c: 5.46%
BMI and Weight
Significant weight gain in non-diabetic subjects during lockdown
.54 ± .95 kg, P = .001
Significant weight gain in diabetic subjects during lockdown: 1.91 ± 5.48 kg, P = .002
No significant difference in weight gain between non-diabetic and diabetic subjects during lockdown: .54 ± .95 kg gain (non-diabetic), and +1.91 ± 5.48 kg gain (diabetic), P = .069
No significant difference in change in BMI between non-diabetic and diabetic subjects during lockdown: .20 ± .36 kg/m2 (non-diabetic) and .71 ± 2.11 kg/m2 (diabetic), P = .075
Diabetes parameters
Significant increase in HbA1c in diabetic subjects: 8.54 ± 1.56% to 9.26 ± 1.70%, P < .001
Non-significant increase in HbA1c in non-diabetic subjects: 5.46 ± .32% to 5.48 ± .33%, P = .387
Significant increase in fasting glucose in diabetic subjects: 184.38 ± 62.92 mg/dl to 224.08 ± 89.01 mg/dl, P < .001
Non-significant decrease in fasting glucose in non-diabetic subjects
94.90 ± 11.41 mg/dl to 94.40 ± 9.30 mg/dl, P = .396
Significant difference in HbA1c change between non-diabetic subjects (.02 ± .19%) and diabetic subjects (.71 ± 1.35%), P = .002
Lipid parameters
Non-significant increase in LDL-C in diabetic subjects: 122.07 ± 33.06 mg/dl to 129.68 ± 30.52 mg/dl, P = .077
Non-significant decrease in LDL-C in non-diabetic subjects: 137.88 ± 36.5 mg/dl to 134.35 ± 29.71 mg/dl, P = .089
Significant increase in TG in diabetic subjects: 229.97 ± 162.56 to 288.18 ± 186.78 mg/dl, P = .030
Non-significant decrease in TG in non-diabetic subjects: 143.56 ± 86.44 mg/dl to 137.09 ± 54.68 mg/dl, P = .256
Non-significant increase in HDL-C in diabetic subjects: 43.84 ± 9.19 to 44.94 ± 9.83, P = .220
Significant decrease in HDL-C in non-diabetic subjects: 55.34 ± 12.66 to 53.45 ± 12.31, P = .001
Munekawa C. et al. (2021) 26 N = 203 adults with T2D
Mean age: 67.4 years
Female: 37.9%
Insulin dependence: 33.5%
Weight
Non-significant mean weight gain from 65.6 ± 15.3 kg before pandemic to 65.8 ± 15.2 kg after, P = .126
Diabetes parameters
Significant increase in HbA1c from 7.5 ± 1.0% before pandemic to 7.6 ± 1.0% after, P = .001
Sohn M. et al. (2021) 27 N = 1485 adults
Mean age: 61.8 years
Female: 49%
BMI
Significantly more weight gain during the pandemic compared to years prior: −.34 ± 2.18 (2017–2018); −.39 ± 3.03 kg (2018–2019); +.09 ± 1.16 kg (2019–2020), P < .05
Cardiometabolic parameters
Significantly larger increase in HbA1c during pandemic compared to years prior: −.04 ± .82 (2016–2017); +.03 ± .79 (2017–2018); +.05 ± .78 (2018–2019); and +.07 ± .93% (2019–2020), P < .05
Significantly larger change in 10-year CHD risk score during the pandemic compared to years prior: −.2 ± 5.4% (2016–2017); −.2 ± 5.3% (2017–2018); −.7 ± 6.0% (2018–2019); and +1.0 ± 6.2%
(2019–2020), P < .05
Tanji Y. et al. (2021) 29 N = 1009 adults with T2D in Japan
Female: 34.9%
Mean age: 64.0 years
Mean BMI: 26.4 ± 11.9%
Mean HbA1c: 7.8%
Insulin dependent: 31.2%
BMI
No significant changes in BMI before to after the pandemic: 26.4 kg/m2 (before), 26.4 kg/m2 (after), P > .05
Diabetes parameters
Significant mean increase in HbA1c in all subjects, from 7.45% before the pandemic to 7.53% during the pandemic, P < .05
When stratified, significant increase in HbA1c for subjects with initial HbA1c < 7.0%: From 6.42% (before) to 6.60% (after),
P < .0001, but no significant increase in HbA1c for subjects with initial HbA1c > 7.0%: 7.89% (before) to 7.92% (after), P = .342
When stratified, significant increase in HbA1c from before to after the pandemic for individuals ≥ 65 years, females, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, non-insulin users, P < .05
Falcetta P. et al. (2021) 30 N = 304 adults with T2D in Italy
Female: 34.9%
Mean age: 69.1 years
Mean duration of T2D: 16 years
Hypertension: 75.3%
Dyslipidemia: 67.4%
Insulin dependent: 34.2%
BMI and weight
Significant increase in BMI from before to during lockdown: 29.2 kg/m2 to 29.3 kg/m2, P = .032
Significant increase in weight from before to during lockdown: 81.5 kg to 81.8 kg, P = .023
Significant increase in waist circumference from before to during lockdown: 204.4 ± 12.4 cm to 105 ± 13.9 cm, P = .001
Diabetes parameters
No significant difference in fasting plasma glucose before and during lockdown: 8.6 ± 2.1 mmol/l (before) and 8.8 ± 2.5 mmol/l
(After), P = .353
No significant difference in A1c before and during lockdown: 7.1 ± .9% (before) and 7.1 ± .9% (during), P = .60
When stratified by insulin use, significantly more insulin users had an A1c increase (28.8%), compared to non-insulin users (16.5%), P = .012
Cardiac parameters
Significant decrease in mean Tchol from before to during lockdown: 4.2 ± 0.8 mmol/l to 4.0 ± 0.8 mmol/l, P = .021
Significant decrease in mean HDL from before to during lockdown
1.3 ± .3 mmol/l to 1.2 ± .3 mmol/l, P = .008
Significant decrease in mean LDL from before to during lockdown
2.2 ± .7 mmol/l to 2.1 ± .7 mmol/l, P = .006
Non-significant increase in mean TG from before to during lockdown: 1.5 ± .9 mmol/l to 1.6 ± .9 mmol/l, P = .379
Sankar P. et al. (2020) 31 N = 110 adults with T2D in Kerala, India
Mean age: 58.67 years
Female: 61.8%
Insulin dependent: 46.4%
Heart disease: 10.9%
Weight
No significant change in weight from before the pandemic
71.5 ± 14.8 kg, to during the pandemic, 71.8 ± 13.6 kg
Diabetes parameters
No significant change in A1c from before the pandemic
8.12 ± 1.6%, to during the pandemic 8.2 ± 1.3%
Ruissen M. et al. (2021) 35 N = 280 adults with T1D in the Netherlands
Mean age: 50.1 years
Female: 46.1%
Mean BMI: 25.9 kg/m2
Mean duration of DM: 27.5 years
Higher education: 59.6%
Insulin dependence: 99.6%
N = 155 adults with T2D in the Netherlands
Mean age: 62.5 years
Female: 54%
Mean BMI: 30.2 kg/m2
Mean duration of DM: 15.8 years
Higher education: 57.0%
Insulin dependence: 56.0%
Weight
40.9% of participants reported weight gain during the pandemic, while 12% reported weight loss
10% of participants reported more exercise during the pandemic, while 45.7% reported less exercise
Diabetes parameters
Decrease in A1c in T1D subjects from 7.68 ± 1.2% before the pandemic to 7.52 ± 1.1% after the pandemic (P < .0001)
No improvement in HbA1c in T2D overall
In T2D with high baseline HbA1c (> 8.16%), decrease in HbA1c by .62% from before to during the pandemic, P = .0036

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; T1DM, type 1 diabetes mellitus; T2D, type 2 diabetes mellitus; Tchol, total cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; CHD, coronary heart disease.

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