children those who had Covid-19 may be at higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes than those who didn’t, a new study suggests.
The study, which looked at health records of more than one million children aged 18 and under, found a 72% increase in new diagnoses of the condition among coronavirus patients.
However, the researchers emphasize that it is not clear why type 1 diabetes is more common after Covid, and experts say more research is needed.
However, there is still some uncertainty as to whether Covid-19 causes type 1 diabetes, or whether something else links the two.
Pamela DavisDistinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine – a corresponding author of the study, said: “Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease.
“It mainly occurs because the body’s immune defenses attack the cells that produce insulin, stopping insulin production and causing the disease.
“Covid has been suggested to increase the autoimmune response, and our current finding reinforces that suggestion.”
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, associate professor in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxfordsaid: “The team uses a strong study design to investigate this link, comparing people with Sars-CoV-2 over the same time period to a matched group with other respiratory viruses.
“However, there is still some uncertainty as to whether Covid-19 causes type 1 diabetes, or whether something else links the two.
“Covid testing, especially at the start of the pandemic, was not widespread among young people, and type 1 diabetes is also not tested regularly, making it difficult to determine whether one could cause the other.
He added: “More studies like this need to be done to see if the same results are found with different methods and in different groups of people.”
Gareth Nye, program leader for medical sciences and lecturer in physiology at the University of Chester, said: “There are many factors to be valued in this finding and this study is not trying to prove mechanistic links between the two, just observational results. careful consideration.
“For example, we can see that undiagnosed type 1 diabetes comes to light because of the extra infection or simply that after an infection they are more likely to be watched more closely. ”
He added: “It’s well worth reminding the public to be on the lookout for four ‘T’ symptoms of type 1 diabetes for early diagnosis and prompt treatment: going to the toilet more, getting thirstier, getting thinner and more tired, because these undoubtedly save lives.”
Researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 1.1 million patients in America and 13 other countries diagnosed with Covid between March 2020 and December 2021 as well as those with a non-Covid respiratory infection.
Patients were further divided into two groups: those up to nine years of age and those of 10-18 years of age.
The study found that of more than 571,000 patients under the age of 18, within six months of Covid infection, 123 patients (0.043%) had been newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, compared with 72 patients (0.025%) who had been newly diagnosed. received a 72% increase in new diagnoses after a non-Covid respiratory infection.
Researchers found that one, three and six months after infection, the risk of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was significantly higher for those infected with Covid compared to those with non-Covid respiratory infections.
Similar results were reported in patients in the infant age groups up to 9 years and 10 to 18 years.
Prof Davis said: “Families at high risk for type 1 diabetes in their children should be especially vigilant for symptoms of diabetes after Covid, and pediatricians should be on the lookout for an influx of new cases of type 1 diabetes, especially as the Omicron variant of Covid is spreading so quickly among children.
“We may see a substantial increase in this disease in the coming months to years.
“Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong challenge for those who have it, and an increased incidence represents a significant number of affected children.”
The findings are published in the journal Jama Network Open.