Retrospective Study on the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Northern Taiwan

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the national lockdown had a significant impact on healthcare systems and diabetes management. The results of relevant studies were inconsistent. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of lockdown on glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2D) in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted in a single regional hospital in Northern Taiwan. The clinic characteristics of the patients were summarized. Anthropometric and biochemical data before and after the lockdown were collected and analyzed. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the independent determinants of variables, including baseline characteristics and laboratory parameters, for the changes in glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c). RESULTS: A total of 943 (females 48.5%) patients with T2D were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 60.6±12.3years, with a mean HbA1c of 7.0±1.0%, a mean diabetes duration of 7.3±4.6years, and a mean body mass index(BMI) of 26.5±4.5kg/m(2). The overall means of HbA1c and fasting blood glucose were significantly improved after the lockdown compared to before (7.0±1.0 vs 6.8±0.9, p<0.001 and 132.2±33.3 vs 124.4±30.0, p<0.001, respectively). The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c target (≤7%) was higher after the lockdown compared to before (61.5% vs 68.9%, p<0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that baseline HbA1c before the lockdown was a positive contributor to the change in HbA1c after the lockdown, whereas BMI and co-morbidity with dyslipidemia were negative contributors (standardized coefficient +0.16, p<0.001; −0.07, p=0.025; −0.12, p=0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the benefits of lockdown measures on diabetic control in Northern Taiwan as a single-center experience with the improvement of HbA1c and fasting blood glucose. Understanding these consequences of national lockdown can help healthcare providers to improve diabetes care during the pandemic.