Partha Kar on BBC Radio 4 on risk to PWD of Coronavirus

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everydayupsanddowns

everydayupsanddowns

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Caught a bit of an interview with Prof Partha Kar on the radio yesterday where he was answering questions about which particular people with diabetes were more or less at risk from Covid-19. I think it’s this:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1258104431217905664
 
Oh, I'm just listening to it again. Partha Kar and the risk of C19 is after the bit about keytones.
 
I listened to it after @Ralph-YK ’s recommendation, it was really useful, especially the bit about ketones. They are finding high ketones at lower High BG levels (if you see what I mean) than usual. I’ve never been offered ketone testing strips. I've been asked to speak to my GP this afternoon for some unknown reason, and will mention it to her then. I was just going to go out and buy a pot of urine strips.
 
It is that which has scared me too - ketones are the actual assassins, rather than too high BG directly, for any of us. None of us would have given ketones a thought with a BG of 10, would we?
 
Interesting. So basically if you feel ill and have covid symptoms then you should be checking ketones if your glucose levels are above 10 or so. Our diabetes team have said that patients are needing more insulin than usual to deal with ketones so it’s good to keep in touch with your diabetes specialists if you are ill and your ketones are up.
 
This maybe a daft question but, as a type 2 on insulin are ketones a worry for me?

I’m currently suffering from hay fever which is all wet sinuses:- runny & blocked nose, eyes a bit watery & lots of phlegm in my throat & mouth. There’s sometimes a bit of a cough but, definitely a wet one as opposed to a dry one of COVID-19. My BS is a bit erratic, on the bad days, but, mostly sub 10mmol with only a couple of waking ones this past week or so a bit over 10 around 10.4/10.5. If I hadn’t remembered it’s the hay fever season & I was bad this time last year too, I’d have been worrying!

Is ketones something that only affects type 1’s or do type 2’s, especially on insulin, get them too?
 
Yes, Type 2 folk can and do get ketones when ill with other things and using insulin or not makes no difference to whether you get em or not. BUT!!! - high BG is far, far easier to reduce with insulin than any other drug.
 
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