Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes management and control is controversial and has never been studied in Middle Eastern countries. The aim of this study is to assess recent trends in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in Lebanon. Data related to all the HbA1c tests performed between 2018 and 2022 were extracted from the large laboratory database of our hospital. Data related to fasting plasma glucose when measured at the same time then HbA1c were also collected. The variation in the number and values of HbA1c and FBG were analyzed according to age, gender, pandemic, sampling year and patient status (in/outpatient). The total number of HbA1c and FBG tests performed was 44,043 and 37,193 respectively. The median (interquartile) values for HbA1c and FBG were 5.55% (IQR:5.24-6.02) and 5.4 mmol/L (IQR:4.98-6.13) respectively. During the pandemic, a significant decrease in the number of HbA1c tests by 26.2% and FBG tests by 25.6% was noted, as well as a significant increase in their values (from 5.53%-5.56% and from 5.35 mmol/L to 5.43 mmol/L respectively). Median HbA1c values were higher in men than in women (5.61% vs 5.5%), in elderly subjects (5.86%) than in adults and children (5.42%, 5.16% respectively), and in inpatient than in outpatient settings (5.98% vs 5.53%), P < .001, for all comparisons. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of HbA1c and FBG tests performed decreased, but their values increased. Further studies are needed to look if this trend will last and to assess the long-term impact of these changes.