Diabetes specific risk calculator

[NicoleC1971]

https://qcovid.org/patientinformation/patientinformation

Created by Professor Kar (https://www.england.nhs.uk/author/dr-partha-kar/_

Professor Kar did the May 2020 report on diabetes and Covid and latest meta analysis from Exeter presented to the Diabetes UK regional volunteers this week further confirms that age is the biggest risk factor far above diabetes in itself.

 

[JRT]

https://qcovid.org/patientinformation/patientinformation

Created by Professor Kar (https://www.england.nhs.uk/author/dr-partha-kar/_

Professor Kar did the May 2020 report on diabetes and Covid and latest meta analysis from Exeter presented to the Diabetes UK regional volunteers this week further confirms that age is the biggest risk factor far above diabetes in itself.

Thankyou. That was tremendously helpful, even if results concerning personally(although not a surprise).

 

[KK123]

Thanks for posting. Age has always been the greatest risk factor of course (well documented) but it does show that diabetes raises the risk to 3 or 4 times the norm. I understand that the risk to all (notwithstanding age) may be low but my particular concern is that IF you do catch it you just don't know how it's going to affect your management of your diabetes. Every time my type 1 Mum caught flu she ended up in hospital because of wild glucose levels and that often led to other hospital associated issues. Also I'm not sure we know much about long Covid. I am not in the afraid to go out at all bracket but I do take steps to avoid catching it in the first place. That calculator is very similar to the Covid age calculator which my works use, age definitely is the main factor but having diabetes raises your true age by a good 15 years at least meaning that ignoring general lifestyle factors, someone your own age without diabetes has a better chance than you. I am going to introduce this calculator to work though as it specifically includes diabetes so many thanks.

 

[NicoleC1971]

I don't want to catch the flu or covid so I do take the hand washing seriously. Still at work and do not believe in any of the other mitigating measures being taken supposedly for my benefit! For me the cure is worse than the disease.
I think its sensible to have 'sick day rules' at the ready for type 1s in particular so that wild glucose levels can be managed and that is easier now with our better insulin delivery and blood glucose measuring thank goodness! i do recall becoming ketotic after a kidney infection in my 20s and ending up being in an awful hospital near Slough where a Kray twin was breathing his last. Not to be repeated!

 

[ianf0ster]

I agree with KK123 about blood glucose management when infected with something like flu or Covid. That is why it is so important to always really good BG control - so if you get infected you have more 'wriggle room'.

On a separate note, I find Professor Kar to be a particularly poor source of information for Type2 diabetics - attempting to trash Low Carb (with zero evidence or experience) and then boasting about eating doughnuts etc. Then getting huffy when getting some insults on Twitter.

 

[ianf0ster]

I don't want to catch the flu or covid so I do take the hand washing seriously. Still at work and do not believe in any of the other mitigating measures being taken supposedly for my benefit! For me the cure is worse than the disease.
I think its sensible to have 'sick day rules' at the ready for type 1s in particular so that wild glucose levels can be managed and that is easier now with our better insulin delivery and blood glucose measuring thank goodness! i do recall becoming ketotic after a kidney infection in my 20s and ending up being in an awful hospital near Slough where a Kray twin was breathing his last. Not to be repeated!

Hospital food is another good reason for diabetics using lifestyle to control their BG to do all they can to avoid needing hospital admission.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I wonder why breaking certain bones in the past is a risk factor. I would imagine most of us have had a fracture of some description during our life time.

 

[NicoleC1971]

I wonder why breaking certain bones in the past is a risk factor. I would imagine most of us have had a fracture of some description during our life time.

Not sure but know that fractures which take you off your feet when elderly are linked to sped up mortality. I can't imagine that my fracture aged 14 would matter for example.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Not sure but know that fractures which take you off your feet when elderly are linked to sped up mortality. I can't imagine that my fracture aged 14 would matter for example.

My first fracture was aged 2 when I fell down the stairs and broke 2 bones in a leg. A photo I have of me sitting on Santa's knee wearing a cast proves this! The next and last was a broken wrist in my 30's, about 40 years ago. I doubt either of those count.

 

[zand]

Not sure but know that fractures which take you off your feet when elderly are linked to sped up mortality. I can't imagine that my fracture aged 14 would matter for example.

Yes that's probably the reason, overall health would be affected by the break.

However in my 94 year old aunt's case she recovered from the broken arm only to catch Covid-19 at rehab who then transferred her to a care home which had previously not had any covid cases. She died 5 days later. So it could be that hospitals are dangerous places for the elderly to be!

Also maybe a break would signify potentially weak bones due to low vitamin D levels since calcium needs vit D to aid its absorption? And vit D is important for the immune system. Just guessing.

 

[ianf0ster]

Yes that's probably the reason, overall health would be affected by the break.

However in my 94 year old aunt's case she recovered from the broken arm only to catch Covid-19 at rehab who then transferred her to a care home which had previously not had any covid cases. She died 5 days later. So it could be that hospitals are dangerous places for the elderly to be!

Also maybe a break would signify potentially weak bones due to low vitamin D levels since calcium needs vit D to aid its absorption? And vit D is important for the immune system? Just guessing.

It's no guess that vitamin D is important for the immune system. or that from winter to late spring most people in the UK are at least slightly deficient in Vit D - that is even worse for those with darker skin colour and is one of the factors behind the BAME having a higher Covid mortality rate.

 

[zand]

It's no guess that vitamin D is important for the immune system. or that from winter to late spring most people in the UK are at least slightly deficient in Vit D - that is even worse for those with darker skin colour and is one of the factors behind the BAME having a higher Covid mortality rate.

True, I have been supplementing with vitamin D for a few years for that reason.

I was really answering @Bluetit1802 question about the added risk of having had broken bones.
What I meant was I was guessing that perhaps the added risk of having 2 or more broken bones might be an indicator of low vit d levels because of the link between vit d and calcium. Most people won't know their vit d levels so I was thinking that perhaps this was a simple way of warning folk of that extra risk without having everyone dashing for a vit d test. I know my level was low a few years back because a friend told me where I could get my vit d test done.
Also as a post menopausal woman, I was sent for bone density scans after my 2nd broken bone, so one break is seen as 'normal, 2 may indicate a deficiency.

Edit: @ianf0ster I have removed the 2nd question mark from my last paragraph in the post you quoted. Hopefully this makes it clearer. Sorry for the confusion, 'Covid brain' strikes again.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Not sure but know that fractures which take you off your feet when elderly are linked to sped up mortality. I can't imagine that my fracture aged 14 would matter for example.

I was around 56 when I had my first fracture ever, but, complications set in and it took at least 9 months to recover, with specialist care.

 

[Robinredbreast]

https://qcovid.org/patientinformation/patientinformation

Created by Professor Kar (https://www.england.nhs.uk/author/dr-partha-kar/_

Professor Kar did the May 2020 report on diabetes and Covid and latest meta analysis from Exeter presented to the Diabetes UK regional volunteers this week further confirms that age is the biggest risk factor far above diabetes in itself.

Thanks for posting, it's a really good link, I did the check and I am at 1 in 252 to be hospitalised from Covid 19.

 

[ianf0ster]

True, I have been supplementing with vitamin D for a few years for that reason.

I was really answering @Bluetit1802 question about the added risk of having had broken bones.
...........
Edit: @ianf0ster I have removed the 2nd question mark from my last paragraph in the post you quoted. Hopefully this makes it clearer. Sorry for the confusion, 'Covid brain' strikes again.

Yes, that makes it clearer!
Ian

 

[HSSS]

I think its sensible to have 'sick day rules' at the ready for type 1s in particular so that wild glucose levels can be managed and that is easier now with our better insulin delivery and blood glucose measuring thank goodness!

Thanks for the interesting link.
Unfortunately type 2 diet managed diabetics have a harder time in this respect. Not that I wish to be dependent on insulin instead nor is this in anyway meant to disrespect the effort and juggling that goes into insulin management. But we have no means to bring down high levels caused by illness and if hospitalised we will be fed ridiculous amounts (for us low carber’s) of glucose guaranteeing skyrocketing levels instead of being given life saving insulin - although we may get this too to undo what their food has done to us let alone the virus. We’re also more likely to have the other metabolic risk factors as I understand it.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Not sure but know that fractures which take you off your feet when elderly are linked to sped up mortality. I can't imagine that my fracture aged 14 would matter for example.

If someone say has osteoporosis, they are more at risk of breaking a bone, which means they would have to go to A&E, then x-ray, then the plaster room, even the pharmacy, plus one or two check up's, another ex-ray, a re-plaster, plus a possible infection. Not great at the best of times !

 

[zand]

Hmmm well I did the calculation and it comes out as 1 in 287 risk of needing hospitalisation. Not sure how good this calculator is really. My true risk was 1 in 1 as I needed treatment but couldn't get it. Maybe the other 286 will be fine though

 

[Bluetit1802]

If someone say has osteoporosis, they are more at risk of breaking a bone, which means they would have to go to A&E, then x-ray, then the plaster room, even the pharmacy, plus one or two check up's, another ex-ray, a re-plaster, plus a possible infection. Not great at the best of times !

Agreed, but the questionnaire does not mention osteoporosis. All it says is "Had a prior fracture of hip, wrist, spine or humerus". It does not ask when or how recently, how it happened, or how old you were at the time. This is what makes me query the reason it appears on the questionnaire.

 

[HSSS]

I’m also surprised there are zero questions about control Hb1ac etc. Unless they don’t matter and it’s the underlying broken mechanisms/innate response that matter