International Journal of Diabetes Management

Evaluation of the Effect of Zinc, Quercetin, Bromelain and Vitamin C on COVID-19 Patients

Amr Ahmed — 2023-10-06

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. There are three phases of COVID-19: early infection stage, pulmonary stage and hyper-inflammation stage respectively. It is important to prevent lung or other organs injuries by preventing phase-II and phase-III via pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments. This was a case series study done on twenty-two patients confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosed with COVID-19. Patients in this study have been used quercetin 800 mg, bromelain 165 mg, zinc acetate 50 mg and ascorbic acid 1 g once daily as supplements for 3 to 5 days during SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of quercetin, bromelain, zinc and ascorbic acid combination supplements on patients with COVID-19. The mean levels of WBC, ANC, ALC, AMC and AST were normal among all included patients before and after taking quercetin, bromelain, zinc and ascorbic acid supplements (P-value >0.05). Quercetin 800 mg, bromelain 165 mg, zinc acetate 50 mg and ascorbic acid 1 g once daily supplements were safe for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and may prevent poor prognosis. Randomized clinical trials needed in the future to ensure the efficacy of quercetin, bromelain, zinc and vitamin C combination.

Mean-Variance Serum Sodium Associations with Diabetes Patients

Mahashweta Das — 2023-11-27

Serum sodium (SNa) is a critically significant component of hyponatremia and bones, has firmly been established as a risk factor correlated with many diseases such as diabetes, heart, anaemia, etc and the incidence of fragility fractures. Note that the fragility fractures are a general complication in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, contributing to high rates of mortality and morbidity together with mounting public health costs. SNa is a fundamental component for normal physiological processes, and T2D patients may experience osmotic diuresis as a consequence of disease-related hyperglycemia, contributing to the excess excretion of sodium in the urine and resulting in hyponatremia. Dysnatremias [hyponatremia (<136 mmol/L) and hypernatremia (>145mmol/L)] can severely affect several physiologic organ systems and functions. Diabetes is correlated with many important electrolyte disorders, predominantly affecting magnesium, SNa, and potassium. However, the correlation/ association of SNa with diabetes patients is not clear. This can be confirmed based on the proper probabilistic model of SNa with diabetes status along with the other explanatory factors of the disease. On the other hand, this type of association can be obtained based on the models of fasting glucose/post glucose/random glucose/HbA1c level with SNa and other explanatory factors of the diabetes disease.

Diabetes Management

Shakti Singh — 2023-12-14

Diabetes is a long-term metabolic condition characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). It is a primary cause of illness and mortality around the world, and its incidence is increasing at an alarming rate. Diabetes affected an estimated 463 million persons in 2019, with the number expected to rise to 783 million by 2045. The increasing prevalence of diabetes is a major public health concern, and it is essential to implement effective strategies for prevention and management. Diabetes management is a complex task that requires a multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.

Combining Lemon and Glycerin may Beneficially Regulate Blood Glucose Levels by Modulating Gut Microbiota in Non-obese Diabetic Mice

Hannah Shibo Xu — 2023-12-23

Both dietary lemon and glycerin have shown beneficial effects in diabetic humans and animals. It was hypothesized that there were potential therapeutic advantages of combining both agents in hyperglycemic and healthy mice. In a 6-month study using mature adult male non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, oral treatment with either lemon or glycerin alone increased blood glucose levels during the third month glucose tolerance test and decreased the activity of the predicted glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways when compared to the vehicle control; however, this was no longer observed when lemon and glycerin were combined. Metabolomic analysis indicated that acetate was increased in the fecal samples after treatment with either glycerin or the combination. A 2-month study was also conducted in both male and female NOD mice and suggested that there were more gut microbiome changes at one month in comparison to six months. In older NOD male mice, treatment with the combination for six months decreased insulin resistance. In both adult male and female C57BL/6 mice, dosing with the combination for two months decreased blood glucose levels, as well as glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. In addition, treatment with the combination decreased body weights, especially in male mice, in all four studies. Overall, these studies suggest that lemon and glycerin in combination may reduce the side effects of individual treatments (e.g., transient hyperglycemia) and have some additional benefits (e.g., weight loss). Microbiome modulation likely contributed to the observed beneficial effects.

Neonatal Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes Pregnant Women, A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Al Qarni M — 2023-12-30

Background: Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations, and obstetric complications including increased rates of cesarean section birth, prematurity, and neonatal adverse outcomes including large for gestational age (LAG), and hypoglycemia. Our aim of this study is to investigate and evaluate the prevalence and the different neonatal outcomes of T1DM pregnant women compared to nondiabetic healthy pregnant women in a single-center experience to improve the effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of pregnant women with T1DM.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 113 pregnant women (43 pregnant patients with T1DM and 70 non-diabetic healthy pregnant women) who underwent regular follow-in the antenatal period and delivered at King Fahad Military Medical Complex (KMMC) - Dhahran between 2018 and 2023.

Results: A total of 117 pregnant women (47 with Type-1 diabetes mellitus-T1DM and 70 healthy controls) were included in the study. The proportion of elective C-sections was significantly high in women with T1DM 21 (44.7%) and the proportion of neonatal hypoglycemia who need treatment was also significantly high in diabetic women 20 (42.6%). NICU/SCBU admission was significantly high in diabetic women 23 (48.9%).

Conclusion: The high prevalence of neonatal adverse outcomes especially hypoglycemia and intensive care admission of T1DM pregnant women compared to non-diabetic pregnant women indicates that this model of antenatal diabetes care must be improved to enhance maternal and fetal outcomes, especially in such high-risk groups and challenging problems.