Risk of developing Type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 infection

New research conducted by the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai has confirmed that people who have had COVID-19 are more susceptible to new-onset diabetes, which is the leading contributor to cardiovascular disease.

The study shows that the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes after a COVID-19 infection is not just an early observation but is, in fact, a real risk that has persisted through the Omicron era, according to Alan Kwan, MD, first and corresponding author of the study and a cardiovascular physician at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

How the research was conducted

The study 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. The average patient was 47 years old, and 54% of the subjects were female.

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

Lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes if individuals were vaccinated before infection

The findings are published in the journal JAMA Network Open and suggest that individuals who were vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time they were infected had a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

About diabetes

Diabetes disrupts normal metabolism and metabolic processes, preventing the pancreas from producing enough insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood glucose levels and amino acids. People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart attack and stroke because the disease can damage vital organs and blood vessels. This research is an important part of the puzzle in helping researchers understand how to prevent future metabolic and cardiovascular disease risks.