Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Challenges in Women with Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Gagan Priya1, Sarita Bajaj2, Emmy Grewal3
1Department of Endocrinology, Fortis and Ivy Hospitals, Mohali, Punjab, India.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects women with diabetes, increasing their risk of severe illness. Addressing their unique needs, including suboptimal care and socioeconomic impacts, is crucial for better health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant global healthcare challenges.
- While COVID-19 affects men and women equally, men exhibit higher morbidity, potentially due to immunological, genetic, and behavioral factors.
- Key risk factors for severe COVID-19 include advanced age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the vulnerability of women with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To emphasize the need for uninterrupted cardiometabolic care and explore innovative delivery methods like telemedicine.
- To address the psychological and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic on women with diabetes.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review and synthesis of existing literature on COVID-19, diabetes, and gender-specific impacts.
- Analysis of trends in morbidity and mortality related to COVID-19 in different demographic groups.
- Examination of healthcare delivery challenges and recommendations for vulnerable populations.
Main Results:
- Women with diabetes represent a particularly vulnerable group due to comorbidities and often suboptimal care.
- Effective management of hyperglycemia during COVID-19 infection is vital for reducing morbidity and mortality.
- The pandemic's gendered impact extends beyond biomedical factors, encompassing psychological and socioeconomic dimensions.
Conclusions:
- Urgent policy and intervention development is needed to ensure optimal care for women with diabetes.
- Telemedicine and other innovative healthcare delivery models are essential for maintaining cardiometabolic care during health crises.
- Comprehensive consideration of biomedical, psychological, and socioeconomic factors is necessary for addressing the long-term care needs of women with diabetes.
Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant challenges for healthcare systems across the world. The disease seems to infect men and women in equal numbers, though trends suggest that men have greater morbidity. This has been attributed to differences in immunological response, expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), prevalence of comorbidities, and health-related behaviours, such as smoking. However, this cannot be taken to mean that women are somehow protected. Advanced age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have emerged as the leading contributors to increased morbidity and mortality from the disease. Women with diabetes form a vulnerable group as they often receive suboptimal diabetes care and support, even though they have a high burden of comorbidities and complications. While there are challenges in healthcare delivery during the pandemic, cardiometabolic care cannot be compromised, which calls for exploring new avenues of healthcare delivery, such as telemedicine. Pregnant women with diabetes should continue to receive quality care for optimal outcomes, and the psychological health of women also needs special consideration. The management of hyperglycaemia during COVID-19 infection is important to reduce morbidity and mortality from the infection. The gendered impact of outbreaks and quarantine goes beyond biomedical and psychological aspects, and the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic is likely to affect the long-term care of women with diabetes, which creates an urgent need to create effective policies and interventions to promote optimal care in this vulnerable group.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
01:15Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:19Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer