
Type 1 diabetes does not increase risk for hospitalisation from COVID-19
Type 1 diabetes does not increase risk for hospitalisation from COVID-19, particularly among individuals without diabetes complications, according to a study.
Although hospital data has shown a higher incidence of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and increased mortality among people with diabetes, most inpatients had type 2 diabetes.
Less is known about the implications of type 1 diabetes in COVID-19, so a team from the Harvard Medical School and Joslin Diabetes Center went about investigating.
As part of the trial, they analysed chart data from 35 adults with an established diagnosis of type 1 diabetes admitted to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston between March 1 and June 1 (mean age, 52 years).
Within the group, seven people were COVID-19-positive, 19 people tested COVID-19-negative and four were not tested. Researchers assessed glycemic data up to six months before admission, as well co-morbidities and in-hospital disease course. Primary outcome was a composite of ICU admission, intubation or death.
Lead researcher Dr Roeland Middelbeek said: “Based on the findings that COVID-19-positive patients with type 1 diabetes were not different in their clinical characteristics and outpatient glycemic control vs. COVID-19-negative patients, these findings suggest that having type 1 diabetes, in particular for patients without complications, may not necessarily increase the risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19.
“In our small cohort, the clinical course during hospitalisation also did not significantly differ between patients with type 1 diabetes who were confirmed to have COVID-19 vs. those who did not.”
The study has been published in Diabetes Care.