Alpert Medical School of Brown University, RI, United States.
Alpert Medical School of Brown University, RI, United States.
Med Hypotheses. 2021 Mar;148:110502. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110502. Epub 2021 Jan 24.
We present a hypothesis for increased sugar consumption and a lack of physical exercise as possible determinants of COVID-19 disease severity by impaired glucose metabolism, concurring into a syndemic. National data demonstrate that increased sugar consumption, a high daily caloric intake, and low levels of daily physical activity are independently associated with COVID-19 mortality. Further, genetic factors such as variations in the androgen receptor may compound the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle and increase the risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms in some patients. A diet high in sugar in combination with a low level of physical activity may increase blood glucose levels and impair glucose metabolism. Recent data show that patients admitted to the hospital with high levels of fasting blood glucose are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms. Moreover, elevated glucose levels resulted in increased SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in vitro. We believe that healthier habits of diet and exercise, by improving glucose homeostasis could modulate the individual risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms.
我们提出了一个假设，即糖摄入增加和缺乏体育锻炼可能通过损害葡萄糖代谢成为 COVID-19 疾病严重程度的决定因素，从而导致综合征。国家数据表明，糖摄入增加、每日热量摄入高和日常体力活动水平低与 COVID-19 死亡率独立相关。此外，遗传因素，如雄激素受体的变异，可能会加剧不健康生活方式的影响，并增加某些患者出现严重 COVID-19 症状的风险。高糖饮食与低体力活动相结合可能会导致血糖升高并损害葡萄糖代谢。最近的数据表明，住院时血糖水平较高的患者患严重 COVID-19 症状的风险增加。此外，体外实验表明，葡萄糖水平升高导致 SARS-CoV-2 病毒载量增加。我们认为，改善葡萄糖稳态的饮食和运动等更健康的习惯可以调节个体患严重 COVID-19 症状的风险。
