Although there are no medical treatments for long covidBut a new study suggests that exercise could break the vicious cycle of inflammation that can lead to the development of diabetes and depression months after a person has recovered from the infection.
The study, published in the journal Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews, says exercise can control inflammation that leads to elevated blood glucose levels.
Candida Rebello, PhD, a research scientist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said, “We know that prolonged covid causes depression and we know that it can increase blood glucose levels to the point where people develop diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition life-threatening — common among people with type 1 diabetes.”
“Exercise can help. Exercise takes care of the inflammation that leads to high blood glucose and the development and progression of diabetes and clinical depression,” Rebello added.
Until now, it is not clear how many people suffer from Covid for a long time. But estimates range from 15 to 80% of infected people. Based on those numbers, as many as 1 million Louisiana residents may have long-term Covid.
About LongCovid
Long Covid causes what the Centers for Disease Control describes as “a constellation of other debilitating symptoms,” including mental confusion, muscle pain, and fatigue that can last for months after a person recovers from the initial infection.
“For example, a person may not get seriously ill from COVID-19, but six months later, long after the cough or fever is gone, they develop diabetes,” Dr. Rebello said.
One solution is exercise. Dr. Rebello and her co-authors described her hypothesis in “Exercise as a Moderator of Persistent Neuroendocrine Symptoms of Covid-19.”
“You don’t have to run a mile or even walk a mile at a fast pace,” Dr. Rebello said.
“Walking slowly is also exercise. Ideally, you should do one 30-minute exercise session. But if you can only do 15 minutes at a time, try doing two 15-minute sessions. If you can only walk 15 minutes once a day, do it.” “The important thing is to try. It doesn’t matter where you start. You can gradually build up to the recommended level of exercise,” he added.
“We know that physical activity is a key component of healthy living. This research shows that exercise can be used to break the chain reaction of inflammation that leads to high blood sugar levels and then the development or progression of type 2 diabetes. said Pennington Biomedical CEO John Kirwan, PhD, who is also a co-author of the paper.
Meanwhile, Covid vaccines were also developed in record time. In early March, the World Health Organization approved 10 vaccines for emergency use.
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