Relationship between mental symptoms, dietary compliance and glucose levels of diabetic patients in isolation during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, 2019-nCoV) which first appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 is a disease causing acute respiratory failure. Home isolation methods are used to control the disease all around the world and also in our country. In this study we planned to explain the relationship between some mental symptoms, diet compliance, frequency of blood glucose measurement and blood glucose levels in diabetic patients during home isolation. 
 Material and Method: In this study some questions about the frequency of blood glucose measurement, blood glucose levels, dietary compliance and mental states of the patients were asked on the phone and the patients were asked to give a score to the symptom severity. The notes were retrospectively screened.
 Results: It is known that social isolation triggers the anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression can increase the secretion of some hormones which leads high blood glucose levels (respectively 54.4% of those with 200-300 mg/dl, 91.7% of those with >300 mg/dl don't follow their diets) in diabetic patients. These symptoms can reduce dietary compliance and frequency of the blood sugar measurement, therefore can make metabolic control of the diabetes difficult.
 Conclusion: In this study, we found that blood glucose levels were very high and the frequency of blood glucose measurements were very low in the patients who had some mood changes and we saw that the patients did not follow on their diets. It is important to support patients mentally during this process. Training and following up should be used with some various methods.