A review of changes caused by COVID-19 pandemic in the lifestyle of People with Diabetes (PWD) in India

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has set a new normal to the life of people in the world. It has severely affected the lives of people living with diabetes across the world. India has the second-largest population living with diabetes and the pandemic has posed several challenges in their daily living. It has not only affected the physical and social health but also has a negative impact on the psychological health of PWD in India. Aims: This review aims to find out the effect of the pandemic and the measures to improve the health of PWD in different regions of India. Methods: A web-based search was conducted on the topic of diabetes and Covid-19 pandemic and life-style modification in India. Boolean research was done to find out the literature on PubMed and Google Scholar. We found 157 articles of which we selected 56 articles with full text retrieved. Results: A weight gain of 5-10% in 19% of the person(s) with diabetes (PWD) indicates that there were negative impacts on glycaemic control and overall health condition of a group of persons with diabetes. 44.8% of PWD population of Bihar changed their eating habit and 19.7% noticed an increase in weight which looks little less than the other parts of the country. Conclusion: In conclusion, uncontrolled diabetes is one of the major causes of high mortality in COVID-19 infection. There is an urgent need for a structured diabetes education plan for different areas of India.