Hospitalization rates for new-onset type 2 diabetes in children took off during a pandemic

Researchers are more likely that young people will be first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) during a pandemic, significantly increasing the number of new pediatric T2D cases during the first nine months of the COVID-19 crisis. I reported that I did. ..

Most of these cases involved non-Hispanic black children and men, according to a presentation in. American Diabetes Association (ADA) Virtual conference.

The rationale for researchers to carry out these studies at the Tertiary Pediatric Medical Center was similar: during the pandemic, “type 2 data available in the pediatric population is limited,” said the Washington Children’s National Hospital. Brinmarks, MD, said.

In the first ADA study, of the 2,729 patients admitted to the Baton Rouge Hour Lady of the Lake Children’s Health between March and December 2020, 17 children were first diagnosed with T2D (0.62%). A retrospective chart review was reported. , Of the Pennington Center for Biomedical Research, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

This was an increase of more than 0.27% (8 out of 2,964) initially diagnosed between March and December 2019 (8 out of 2,964).P<0.05). Of the total of 25 children diagnosed, 23 were black and 19 were male, he said.

The average age of onset of T2D was 14.3 years in 2020, but 13.5 years in 2019 (P= 0.48) The population is limited to people under the age of 19.

“Although the number of participants was limited and the laboratories presented were not statistically different, there was a suggestion that in 2020, hospitalized vision would improve compared to 2019,” Hsia et al. Wrote in the ADA presentation.

Patients were identified using the ICD-10 code for T2D, hyperglycemia, and hyperosmolar hyperglycemia syndrome (HHS), but excluded patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and non-diabetes-related hyperglycemia. it was done.

The number of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has increased from 3 to 8 (P= 0.31), the number of HHS patients increased from 0 to 2 (= 0.31)P= 0.45), he reported. Both conditions usually require admission to the ICU. Mean serum glucose increased from 441 to 669 mg / dL (P= 0.14), HbA1c is 12.4% to 13.1% (= 0.14)P= 0.59), and serum osmolality of 314-335 mmol / kg (P= 0.19).

The order to stay home during the pandemic “has limited opportunities for daily physical activity, encourages more screen time and sedentary behavior, causes sleep disorders, and promotes consumption of super-processed foods. Even the slightest weight gain in a short period of time can increase the risk of long-term consequences such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, “the author writes.

“Further research is needed to better understand the clinical significance of these findings,” they said.

“Our study investigated type 2 diabetes hospitalizations at one institution, but the results could be a microcosm of what’s happening at other children’s hospitals across the country,” Hsia said. I am. Press release.. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 has disrupted our lives in more ways than we think. Our study shows that children’s healthy lifestyles even in such difficult situations. Emphasizes the importance of maintaining. “

Sai said his group wants to pool data with others to see if the results reflect regional or national trends.

Marks et al. Defined “young people” as 21 years or younger, defined the data as pre-pandemic from March 11, 2019 to March 10, 2020, and pandemic data obtained from March 11, an organization. We conducted a cross-section review of the data from. From 2020 to March 10, 2021.

The group examined overall diagnostic rates, demographic and clinical features, and severity of symptoms, Marks explained.

They found that T2D diagnosis almost tripled from 50 pre-pandemic to 141 during the pandemic, with a marked increase among non-Hispanic black adolescents. Non-Hispanic black type 2 diabetes diagnosis as a share of all diagnoses increased from 58% to 76.7% (P= 0.06). The proportion of female patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes decreased from 58% to 41.1% (P= 0.05).

The number of cases per month increased from 0.12 (P= 0.65) to 1.45 (P= 0.001), “And when data collection stopped, it continued to rise,” Marks said. The proportion of T2D cases diagnosed increased from 24% to 44% compared to T1D cases.

Also, the number of young people presenting DKA has gone from 2 to 33 (P= 0.001), according to researchers, the proportion of inpatients requiring management increased from 36% to 60.3%.

Last updated: June 26, 2021