The study, published in JAMA Network Open by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles researchers, suggests that patients had a greater risk of diabetes in the 90 days following infection.
The information was derived from a study of medical records from nearly 23,000 persons who contracted COVID-19.
Physicians had previously detected a link between the virus and diabetes, but the researchers said a lot of factors needed to be addressed to create a firmer proof of a direct association.
Diabetes Risk Increases by 58% Following Infection
The study “proved that persons who have had COVID-19 have a greater risk for new-onset diabetes — the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.”
According to the researchers, the chances of being diagnosed with new-onset diabetes were 58% higher after the infection than before.
The research was conducted at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The researchers looked at the medical records of 23,709 adult patients who had “at least one verified COVID-19 infection” and were treated between 2020 and 2022. The patient’s average age was 47 years, and 54% of the individuals were female.
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COVID-19 Infection May Be A ‘Disease Accelerator’
- The cumulative risk of Type 2 diabetes following COVID-19 exposure was 2.1%, with 70% occurring after infection versus 30% prior to exposure. This includes both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.
- unvaccinated patients, the probability of Type 2 diabetes after exposure was 2.7%, with 74% occurring after infection and 26% prior to exposure.
- For vaccinated patients, the risk of Type 2 diabetes after exposure was 1.0%, with 51% occurring after infection and 49% before to exposure.
According to Susan Cheng, a senior author of the study, the findings enhance the medical community’s understanding of the condition while simultaneously raising new questions.
Although it cannot be ruled out, Cheng believes the COVID-19 infection may be serving as a “disease accelerator” in some situations, “amplifying risk for a diagnosis that individuals might have otherwise received later in life.”
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