Elsevier

AACE Clinical Case Reports

Volume 9, Issue 4, July–August 2023, Pages 131-135
AACE Clinical Case Reports

Case Report
Hyperglycemia Associated With Raynaud Phenomenon and Liver Dysfunction After COVID-19 Vaccination in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aace.2023.05.006Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background/Objective

The association of COVID-19 vaccinations and the changes in glycemic control remains debatable. We report a case of a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) with previously well-controlled glucose on a hybrid closed-loop insulin pump who developed significant glucose variation, new onset Raynaud phenomenon, and liver dysfunction after the vaccination.

Case Report

A 33-year-old man with type 1 DM since the age of 5 years was on an insulin pump for 17 years. He had a reasonable controlled glucose level with a hemoglobin A1c level of 6.8% (51 mmol/mol). Three days after he received the COVID-19 vaccination, his glucose level started to fluctuate in the range of 46 to 378 mg/dL with 3.5 times higher total daily insulin requirement. The patient developed white-pale cold hands, weight gain, fatigue, and liver dysfunction. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed mild hepatomegaly, and laboratory workup was negative for hepatitis. One month later, his glucose level became better controlled, and his liver function improved. Continuous glucose monitoring revealed that his glucose profile returned to baseline after 6 weeks.

Discussion

COVID-19 vaccination resulted in significant glucose variation and fluctuations in this patient. It could be explained by the vaccine-induced immune response causing an increase in insulin resistance, such as in adipose tissue and muscle cells. Immune stimulation could have also caused the abnormal liver function and explain his new onset Raynaud phenomenon.

Conclusion

We described, for the first time, the long-term continuous glucose monitoring glucose profile with a hybrid closed-loop system in type 1 DM after COVID-19 vaccination. Clinicians need to keep alert to glycemic excursion and side effects after immunization in type 1 DM.

Key words

diabetes
continuous glucose monitoring
hybrid closed-loop insulin pump system
Raynaud phenomenon
COVID-19 vaccine

Abbreviations

AIH
autoimmune hepatitis
CGM
continuous glucose monitoring
DM
diabetes mellitus
SD
standard deviation
TIR
time in range

Cited by (0)