“The culprit appears to be an enzyme called SETDB2. This same enzyme has been implicated in the non-healing, inflammatory wounds found in people with diabetes. Working in the lab of Katherine Gallagher, M.D. of the Michigan Medicine Departments of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology, researcher W. James Melvin, M.D., and his colleagues decided to probe a possible link between the enzyme and the runaway inflammation they witnessed first-hand in COVID patients in the ICU.” SciTech Daily
Comment: Would be curious to know informed opinions about this, especially the reference to diabetic wounds. pl
I do know that diabetes was one of the preexisting conditions that put you on the top of the list when they started giving out the Covid vaccines. My grandfather on my mother’s side lost a leg below the knee due to a diabetic wound not healing and getting infected. That was when he was pretty old and in and out of the VA hospital in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
I have had Type II for about 20 years now and I have noticed that some wounds take longer to heal. Since I started to take Tumeric daily, it has improved. Hopefully, it will continue to do so.
My sister-in-law went temporarily blind from Type 2 when she was in her 30s. Eventually recovered some blurry vision. Lived to her 80s. But she had to live like a hemophiliac, seeing the doctor for even the smallest of cuts, nicks or scrapes. She was thin as a rail even before onset. So I believe her case was genetic and not due to obesity. For that reason I’m always pushing SWMBO and the kids to get tested on a regular basis.
My great uncle also had a foot amputated due to diabetes while in VA care. But I understood that procedure, which used to be more common was due to decreased blood flow to the extremities.
*Uncontrolled diabetes* leads to wounds that won’t heal. Uncontrolled diabetes is one of those illnesses that tends to be most prevalent among the poor and uneducated, who also tend to be disproportionately minorities.There is little reason to have uncontrolled diabetes because there are ways to control it if one cares to do so. It is an indicator of a cluster of issues that impact health status and health outcomes. It’s been a long established syndrome; long before covid. No surprise that people exhibiting this cluster are more susceptible to covid. The uncontrolled diabetics have other serious health issues. It is very rare to be just an uncontrolled diabetic.
This highlights what I have been saying since covid began. We are not all at equal risk. The quoted % survival rates, etc are averages. As I have also been saying, finer cuts of the data are needed to truly understand what we are looking at. Age breakouts are helpful, but insufficient. This is also why I keep saying that younger healthier/health conscious people (and even older healthier people) do not have much to fear from covid.
Furthermore, people in this cluster are the least likely to be vaccinated, which confounds the data with regard to vaxxed v unvaxxed outcomes (i.e. an unvaxxed person in this cluster is not the same as an unvaxxed person who is healthy). The unvaxxed cohort is skewed toward people in the cluster, which distorts the value of being vaxxed (or, conversely, the risk of being unvaxxed).
How, exactly, covid is aggravated by diabetes, I can only guess. We need medical professionals to explain that. I hope someone shows up and does so.
Colonel Lang?
Something you may find interesting:
https://news.uams.edu/2021/09/09/uams-research-team-finds-potential-cause-of-covid-19-long-haulers/
““If our next steps confirm that this antibody is the cause of long COVID symptoms, there are medications that should work to treat them. If we get to that phase of research, the next step would be to test these drugs and hopefully relieve people of the symptoms they’re having.”
I have an acquaintance who’s a professor of internal medicine at UAMS though I don’t know whether he has anything to do with the research wing. But as I’m interested in the mentioned “there are medications that should work” I’ll see if I can pick his brain to see if he might be in a position to enlighten us some. It’ll likely take some time as he’s a quite busy fellow.
That article specifically points to one enzyme, SETDB2, as the culprit. I found another article pointing to other links between diabetes, Covid and cytocline storms. I don’t know if either of these problems are present in someone with controlled diabetes 2. As Eric Newhill pointed out, uncontrolled diabetes sets you up for a world of hurt, but even if it’s controlled, you still have diabetes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34217771/
My younger son was diagnosed with diabetes 2 right around 40 years old. He started with metformin, minded his diet better and dramatically up his physical activity with road biking. He now does Richmond to Williamsburg and back every other weekend with ease. His A1C is between 4 and 5, but he’s not cured, just well controlled.
I was diagnosed with my first visit to a VA doctor at 65 years old. I hadn’t had a physical since my over 40 Army physical. I changed my diet, lost some weight, stay active and take metformin. It’s under control. I told my son I’ll be damned if I start doing century rides. I do have nerve damage in my feet, but that’s in addition to all the nerve damage from when I was in my 20s doing human flight experiments. There’s also some blood vessel damage in the feet. Just have to be mindful of it. I continue to cut and gash my hands and arms on a regular basis, but the wounds heal quickly and completely. That’s probably a benefit of having my diabetes under control.
TTG,
Glad to hear that you and your son are dealing with diabetes in all of the right ways. Yes, you still have it and probably always will, but it’s controlled and the steps you are taking to control it have wider positive health outcomes ramifications.
As a student of anthropology, you should be interested in the cultural aspects of uncontrolled diabetes; which, as I said, is a strong indicator of other serious active and underlying conditions – or general unhealthiness. Members of that culture are disproportionately represented in covid deaths. That culture is also disproportionately represented in other societal issues.
Humans are not meat robots. Healthcare outcomes must be studied holistically. It is good to understand the various chemical reactions in the body. However, the building of understanding cannot stop at those chemicals. We must also understand the cultural milieu in which the individual dwells. IMO, the study should be culture to individual psychology and behaviors down to chemicals in conjunction with the study of the chemicals. Then the teams would come together and understand the interactions of their findings. However, the scientific/medical world wants to start with chemicals and leave it at that. Public health tries to bridge the gap in approaches, but they are money takers, not money makers. So they are second fiddle until they can join the money makers somehow.
The VA uses a robust lifestyle change education program as the first step in treating diabetes. I was impressed by what they set up. Of course, it’s augmented by drugs, but even that is monitored closely until just the right dosage is reached.
Human flight experiments? Or is that Airborne code for Jump School?
Leith a parachute is really a cloth drag brake. You do not “fly” under a parachute. You just fall slower.
No. No parachute. It was a 250 ft help rappel with a 200ft rope. The Huey hit a massive gust from a gully just as I started the slide. All in front of hundreds of Hawaiian cub scouts.
helo, not help.
TTG – Glad you are still with us.
TTG, glad you survived your flying lesson.
Had a rappelling accident myself in my late teens, on a (civilian) rock climbing course – while under instruction I must stress. The length of the rope wasn’t the problem, just the fact I became detached from it. Long story short I’d clipped the carabiner attached to the brake device on the rope into a plastic gear loop on the front of my harness, not the main belt loop. Lesson: Never wear clothing covering your harness. Anyway, it snapped soon after I went over the edge of a 40 or 50ft cliff and the fall was just long enough for me to think “this will hurt”. As it was I got off lightly with just a burn on my finger from the rope, but hit my chin & was knocked out briefly. Most memorable part was coming round spitting blood & a few chips of teeth. There was a British Para on the course too (on leave/vacation) and he walked over, saw I wasn’t badly hurt and cool as anything said “Didn’t anyone ever tell you, only Para’s can fly”. That day I learned an appreciation of the enormous disparity in risk perception between my civilian world and his/yours.
TTG,
“His A1C is between 4 and 5, but he’s not cured, just well controlled.”
Excellent result. Once you hit the limit of sugar/crappy carbs you never can go back and expect to keep your blood sugar in line.
I went from 5.2 low carb to 5.4 and finally 5.7 due to my sweet tooth. Back to 5.5 and increasing exercise a lot. It is a lifestyle until the end if a person wants to keep Diabetes II at bay.
I am overcome with grief and shock — this article prompted me to inquire once again about the health status of a valued employee. He recently came down with Covid, and knowing that he was diabetic made us especially concerned about his fate, even though he wasn’t overweight and was only 60 years old. It turns out he died a couple of days ago. He was a fine man, and an excellent worker who will hard to replace. This is such sad news.
CDC’s running list of covid co-morbidities that increase risk of severe illness:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/underlying-evidence-table.html
For meaningful interpretation, this “covid” list needs to be compared to regular flu/pneumonia season co-morbidities and risk of disease and death. Surprising no mention of obesity in this CDC list. I assume obesity is not yet officially listed as a “disease” or cause of death.
Not surprising however to read the CDC conclusion, the greater the age, the higher risk of death. (Nice piece of government funded research.)
Important to distinguish between Type One (juvenile onset) diabetes requiring insulin supplementation and the far more serious condition; and Type Two Diabetes (adult onset) which is more a recent creation of test metrics.
I have defeated Type 2 diabetes by taking mega doses of Vitamin D (18,000 IU per day). My Hba1c has dropped from 6.5 to 5.8, which is almost normal.
Lysias, the benefits of Vit D are becoming very obvious. It’s nice to hear of your conquering the disease. Congrats!
All
I suppose I will tell you (to the delight of some) that I have mild well controlled Type 2 diabetes.
Col Lang – I for one am glad that your type 2 is under control. After what happened to my SWMBO’s sister, I would not wish a serious case on anyone.
Colonel, I figured such. No delight here… I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 6 years ago and started taking Metformin which drove my A1C down to 5.6-5.7 from over 7. The diagnosis was just the result of blood work by my conscientious concierge physician; I never had any symptoms such as retinal problems, neuropathy, slow wound healing or peripheral circulation problems. I’m very grateful for having a physician who’s involved with his patients and strongly urge all fellow oldsters to get involved with a good doctor. What you don’t know can and will hurt you.
A. Pols
I take Metformin and Januvia. I get them through Tricare pharma benefit for close to free. “The thanks of a grateful nation.” This is an old Army joke. I am registered for VA health care but have not used it so far. It was really intended for short term enlisted men and there is a paucity of doctors in the VA system in the DC metro area. In the VA system I would pay nothing. I have 60% disability in the VA system.
Col. Lang,
I have nothing to offer on the diabetic scientific article regarding Coronavirus and wounds.
The only thing I did want to say was my Primary Plan of Action going forward for my family and friends
1. BinaxNOW(90% accuracy claimed) at-home test C-19 test. CVS sells them for $25. Two tests in a box.
2. Take test at first sign of symptoms
3. Confirm positive test with rapid PCR test at an Urgent Care Center near by
4. Began Monoclonal Antibody therapy immediately if PCR test is positive
5. Approved for Outpatients only currently.
This therapy is showing a lot of promise for vaccinated breakthrough cases and unvaccinated initial infection cases.
Even that worm Fauci agrees
https://nypost.com/2021/08/24/fauci-early-use-of-monoclonal-antibodies-can-reduce-hospitalization-death/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow