Cedars-Sinai researchers have confirmed a link between COVID-19 infections and a heightened risk for developing diabetes, according to a Feb. 14 press release.
Nearly 24,000 patients were analyzed for the study, which ultimately found that, "Rates of new-onset diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and benchmark diagnoses occurring in the 90 days after COVID-19 infection were higher than those before infection," the authors wrote. "The highest odds postinfection were for diabetes, followed by hypertension."
The findings, published in JAMA, also state that there may be a decreased risk associated with patients who received vaccinations prior to becoming infected with COVID-19. However, researchers note, further studies would be needed to validate this aspect for certain.
"As we learn how to live with COVID-19, we also have to be prepared to recognize and treat the various conditions linked to its aftereffects" Alan Kwan, MD, an author of the study and a cardiovascular physician in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, said in a press statement.