ABCD COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes audit results published

By Editor
3rd June 2021
Coronavirus, Inpatient Research Type 1 diabetes

A higher BMI, poorer renal function and microvascular complications can lead to more severe COVID-19 symptoms  in those admitted to hospital with the virus who have type 1 diabetes.

That is according to the findings of a UK-wide study of people with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital with COVID-19 infection led by the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD).

According to the results, risk of severe coronavirus was “reassuringly very low in people with type 1 diabetes who are under 55 years of age without microvascular or macrovascular disease”.

A total of 40 centres submitted data to the audit, which took place between March to October 2020 and aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of adults with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital and the risk factors associated with severe coronavirus disease. The final dataset included 196 adults.

Summarising the results, the researchers said: “The prevalence of pre-existing microvascular disease and macrovascular disease was 56% and 39%, respectively. The prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis on admission was 29%. A total of 68 patients (35%) died or were admitted to AICU. The proportions of people that died were 7%, 38% and 38% of those aged <55, 55–74 and ≥75 years, respectively. BMI, serum creatinine levels and having one or more microvascular complications were positively associated with the primary outcome after adjusting for age.

They concluded: “In people with type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital in the UK, higher BMI, poorer renal function and presence of microvascular complications were associated with greater risk of death and/or admission to AICU. Risk of severe COVID-19 is reassuringly very low in people with type 1 diabetes who are under 55 years of age without microvascular or macrovascular disease.”

To access the study, click here. As well as this analysis of the clinical characteristics, ABCD also published a methodology paper outlining the methods used in collecting the data and analysing it.

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