People who have been diagnosed with diabetes or a diabetic-type of eye condition are at a heightened risk of developing an infection from SARS-CoV-2, a new British study has found.

The new research by King's College London is the first to investigate the correlation between diabetic retinopathy and the new coronavirus strain from the COVID-19 pandemic allegedly originating in China.

Published in the online academic journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, the British research study involved more than 150 patients diagnosed with a metabolic condition like diabetes who were subjected to treatment in a hospital setting as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Out of the total number of patients examined, the British-based research group found that 36 percent of the patients had a diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.

The study’s co-author Antonella Corcillo stated this regarding their results: “This is the first time that retinopathy has been linked to severe COVID-19 in people with diabetes.”

Corcillo also said: “Retinopathy is a marker of damage to the blood vessels and our results suggest that such pre-existing damage to blood vessels may result in a more severe COVID-19 infection requiring intensive care treatment.”

People with diabetes are at a heightened risk of vascular complications, and as a result, might be in greater vulnerability for those with respiratory failure from chronic symptoms linked to SARS-CoV-2.

The results aimed at raising awareness of the important consequences of the new coronavirus strain by providing new insight into its role in diabetic retinopathy.

Source: Mental Daily (https://www.mentaldaily.com)