Diabetes Risk Increases Following COVID-19 Infection

People who have had COVID-19 have an increased risk for new-onset diabetes—the most significant contributor to cardiovascular disease, according to investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. These results verify that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection was not just an early observation but, in fact, a real risk that has, unfortunately, persisted through the Omicron era.

The trend is concerning because most people in the United States will eventually experience a COVID-19 infection. This research study helps us understand—and better prepare for—the post-COVID-19 era of cardiovascular risk.

The findings, published today in the journal JAMA Network Open, also suggest that the risk of type 2 diabetes appears lower in individuals who were already vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time they were infected.

To determine the rising rates of diabetes, investigators evaluated the medical records of 23,709 adult patients who had at least one documented COVID-19 infection and were treated within the Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles from 2020-2022. The average patient was 47 years old, and 54% of the subjects were female.

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The combined risk of type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 exposure—accounting for both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients—was 2.1%, with 70% occurring after COVID-19 infection versus 30% happening before COVID-19 exposure.

The risk of type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 exposure for unvaccinated patients was 2.7%, with 74% occurring after COVID-19 infection versus 26% happening before COVID-19 exposure. The risk of type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 exposure for vaccinated patients was 1.0%, with 51% occurring after COVID-19 infection versus 49% happening prior to COVID-19 exposure.

These results suggest that COVID-19 vaccination before infection may provide a protective effect against diabetes risk. Although further studies are needed to validate this hypothesis, we remain steadfast in the belief that COVID-19 vaccination remains an important tool in protecting against COVID-19 and the still-uncertain risks that people may experience during the post-infection period.

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Although we don’t yet know for certain, the trends and patterns that we see in the data suggest that COVID-19 infection could be acting in certain settings like a disease accelerator, amplifying the risk for a diagnosis that individuals might have otherwise received later in life.

Diabetes disrupts normal metabolism and metabolic processes, preventing the pancreas from producing enough insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood levels of glucose and amino acids. Because diabetes can damage vital organs and blood vessels, people with diabetes are at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.

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The disease affects an estimated 26 million people in the United States. This research is one piece of the puzzle that will help researchers understand how to prevent metabolic as well as cardiovascular disease risk in the future.

As we learn how to live with COVID-19, we also have to be prepared to recognize and treat the various conditions linked to its after effects.



Source-Eurekalert