Correlation of Body Mass Index with Glycemic Control in Type II Diabetes Patients Experiencing Respiratory Infection

Abstract

Deficient glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a major public health concern. This study aimed to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and glycemic control (HbA1c) in T2DM patients who experienced COVID-19 infection in the rural population of Central Punjab. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among male and female patients aged 35 years and above attending the outpatient clinic at the Rural Health Center, Awan Dhai Wala, Lahore, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. BMI and HbA1c levels were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). A total of 300 patients were included, with a mean age of 49.76 ± 8.81 years (median: 51; range: 35–65). The mean BMI was 24.37 ± 4.11 (median: 24; range: 17.5–36). A statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) was observed between mean BMI in patients with good glycemic control (21.81 ± 3.15) and those with poor glycemic control (25.22 ± 4.05). BMI category stratification also showed a significant association with glycemic control (p = 0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficient demonstrated a moderate positive correlation between BMI and HbA1c (r = 0.40), indicating that higher BMI is associated with poorer glycemic control. Overall, the findings suggest that elevated BMI contributes to inadequate glycemic control in T2DM patients previously infected with COVID-19 in rural Central Punjab.