A recent meta-analysis analyzed 42 studies and over 100,000 youths found that the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before. The study also reported an increase in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during this period.
Despite no clear mechanism explaining the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent increased risk of diabetes, population-based studies suggested that the increase in incidence may be due to an immune-mediated mechanism. However, the underlying mechanisms and long-term implications require further investigation. Future studies are needed to assess whether this trend persists and to elucidate possible mechanisms to explain these temporal changes.
D’Souza, D., Empringham, J., Pechlivanoglou, P., Uleryk, E.M., Cohen, E., Shulman, R., 2023. Incidence of Diabetes in Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Network Open 6, e2321281-e2321281.
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