Scientists from the Southern Medical University in China found that even a mild form of COVID-19 can increase the risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal dysfunction, pancreas, liver and gallbladder diseases within a year of infection. results published BMC (BioMed Center) in the field of Medicine.
The study used data from people aged 37 to 73 from the UK Biobank, where human biological samples are stored. 112,311 people had pre-existing COVID-19, 359,671 did not have the disease (these participants were the control group), and 370,979 participants became ill during the study period.
After assessing participants’ health status, researchers found that COVID-19 was associated with a 41% increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a 23% increased risk of peptic ulcer disease, a 38% increased risk of gastrointestinal dysfunction, and a 38% increased risk of pancreatic disease. and liver disease in 36% and 35%, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 27%, and gallbladder disease in 21%, respectively.
It has been noted that the risk of gastrointestinal dysfunction and GERD remains high one year after infection, and the risk of developing gallbladder disease remains high six months later. Additionally, the link to digestive diseases persisted even in cases where subjects had a mild form of COVID-19.
Currently, scientists cannot explain how SARS-CoV-2 may increase the risk of digestive diseases. A possible mechanism could be that the virus is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, leading to infection of the digestive tract. There is also an opinion that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may occur in the acute phase of infection, which may be associated with long-term digestive disorders.
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