COVID-19 may trigger hyperglycemia and worsen disease by harming fat cells

 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/930271

 

 News Release 1-Oct-2021
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Weill Cornell Medicine

 

 COVID-19 may bring high risks of severe disease and death in many patients by disrupting key metabolic signals and thereby triggering hyperglycemia, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

In the study, reported Sept. 15 in Cell Metabolism, the researchers found that hyperglycemia—having high blood sugar levels—is common in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and is strongly associated with worse outcomes. The researchers also found evidence suggesting that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can induce hyperglycemia by disrupting fat cells’ production of adiponectin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. 

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