Does COVID-19 Increase Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Children?
In a retrospective cohort study of 613,602 pediatric patients aged 10 to 19, researchers found an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) within six months of a COVID-19 diagnosis compared with diagnoses of other respiratory infections (ORIs).
COVID-19’s association with new-onset T2D in adults has been previously established, but its impact on pediatric patients remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify whether pediatric patients also face an elevated risk of T2D following COVID-19.
Researchers analyzed data from the TriNetX database covering the period from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, focusing on youth aged 10 to 19 years without a preexisting diabetes diagnosis. They compared T2D incidence among those diagnosed with COVID-19 against a matched cohort with ORIs. By using propensity score matching, the study controlled for potential confounders, creating two comparable groups of 306,801 patients each. Incidence rates of T2D were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months post-infection.
The findings indicated elevated T2D risk across all time points in the COVID-19 group compared with the ORI group. Patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis had a 55% greater risk of developing T2D within 1 month (relative risk [RR], 1.55; 95% CI, 1.28-1.89), a 48% greater risk at 3 months (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.24-1.76), and a 58% greater risk at 6 months (RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.35-1.85). In children with overweight or obesity , the T2D risk after COVID-19 diagnosis rose by 107% at 1 month (RR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.12-3.83), 100% at 3 months (RR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.15-3.47), and 127% at 6 months (RR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.38-3.75). The risk was even higher among those hospitalized for COVID-19, with a 210% increase at 1 month (RR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.04-4.71), a 174% increase at 3 months (RR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.90-3.96), and a 162% increase at 6 months (RR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.87-3.66).
The study’s limitations include its retrospective design, reliance on electronic health records, and lack of long-term follow-up, which limits insights into whether these cases of T2D persist, remit, or evolve over time.
“In this retrospective cohort study of children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, the risk of an incident diagnosis of T2D was greater following a COVID-19 diagnosis than in children diagnosed with ORIs,” the study authors concluded. “Further study is required to determine whether diabetes persists or reverses later in life.”
Reference
Miller MG, Terebuh P, Kaelber DC, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection and new-onset type 2 diabetes among pediatric patients, 2020 to 2022. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(10):e2439444. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.39444.