2-15-2023 11:46am

A new study indicates individuals once infected with COVID-19 could have an increased risk of new onset diabetes

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

A new study reveals that people who have contracted covid_19 are susceptible to a higher risk of getting new-onset diabetes a leading factor of cardiovascular disease. For diabetes, researchers suggest all eligible individuals get vaccinated.

The study was conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The outcome of the study, led by investigators at the Smidt Heart Institute, confirmed these findings.

From the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles County reported 3,690,901 covid illnesses, indicating that some physicians who performed the study think many Americans will experience a COVID-19 infection.

"Our results validate early findings revealing a risk of developing Type 2 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection and indicate that this risk has, unfortunately, persisted through the Omicron era," said Dr. Alan Kwan, the author of the study and a cardiovascular physician at Cedars-Sinai. "The research study helps us understand — and better prepare for — the post COVID-19 era of cardiovascular risk."

The study also points out that the chance of Type 2 diabetes seems to be inferior in people who've been vaccinated against COVID-19 before the onset of their infection.

To determine the data, investigators "evaluated medical records from 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."

Researchers' findings determined that: sourced via the JAMA Network Open journal Feb. 15, 2023, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/pages/for-authors

The combined risk of Type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 exposure was 2.1%, with 70% occurring after COVID-19 infection versus 30% before exposure. This accounts for both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.
the risk of Type 2 diabetes after exposure for unvaccinated patients was 2.7%, with 74% occurring after infection versus 26% before exposure.
the risk of Type 2 diabetes after exposure for vaccinated patients was 1.0%, with 51% occurring after infection versus 49% before exposure.

"These results suggest that COVID-19 vaccination prior to infection may provide a protective effect against diabetes risk," Kwan said. "Although further studies are needed to validate this hypothesis, we remain steadfast in our 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."

While Covid_19 remains investigated, Dr. Susan Cheng, the senior authority of the study and director of Cardiovascular Population Sciences at the Smidt Heart Institute, states that the results can help widen the medical field's determinations and knowledge of the COVID-19 virus.

Currently, about 26 million Americans have diabetes. The results were published on February 15, 2023, in the JAMA Network Open journal.

This article originated via CBS Los Angeles and was updated by Anita Johnson-Brown

Photo: Sciencenews.org