Can heat wave affect glycemic control in type 1 diabetes patients?

A recent study published in Science of The Total Environment has shed light on the effect of heat waves on glycemic control among adult patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

The researchers found that adults with type 1 diabetes had better glycemic control during the historic Spanish heatwave (July 2022) compared to the following period. They revealed a decrease in the time in range (between 70 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL of interstitial glucose) by 4%, from 60.8% during the heat wave to 54.8% after.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of patients with type 1 diabetes in Castilla-La Mancha using isCGM (intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring) during and after the heatwave. The study's primary outcome was determined as a change in time in range (TIR) of interstitial glucose in the two weeks following the heatwave. A total of 2701 type 1 diabetes patients were analyzed.

A TIR reduction of 4.0 % was detected in the two weeks following the heatwave.Patients in the highest daily scan frequency quartile (>13 scans/day) during the heatwave showed the greatest deterioration in TIR after it concluded (−5.4 %).

To conclude, patients showed a worsening of diabetes control following the heatwave measured through continuous glucose monitoring."The effect of climate change on health will be a major issue in the following years," the researchers wrote.

Reference: Moreno-Fernandez, J., Sastre, J., Herranz, S., Pinés, P., Gomez, F. J., Quiroga, I., Moya, A. J., Gonzalvo, C., Miralles, R., Calderon-Vicente, D., Palma, M., Gargallo, J., & Muñoz-Rodriguez, J. (2023). Effect of the historic Spanish heatwave over glycemic control in adult patients with type 1 diabetes. Science of The Total Environment, 889, 164045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164045