LONDON – There has been an unusual rise in the number of children and teenagers around the world diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since COVID, say researchers.
A new study in JAMA Network Open journal has collated available data from different countries, including the United Kingdom, on more than 38,000 young people diagnosed during the pandemic.
The authors describe the increase in cases of diabetes as “substantial”.
More work is needed to understand why the rise is happening, they say.
Some of the rise could be attributed to catch-up – from backlogs and delays when health services were shut – but does not explain all of the newly diagnosed cases, say scientists.
Before the pandemic, the incidence rate of childhood type 1 diabetes was already increasing – by about 3% a year.
The recent study found:
* there was a 14% rise in the rate during the first year of the pandemic, compared to before COVID
* in the second year of COVID, the rate was up about 27% on pre-pandemic levels
Researchers from the University of Toronto say, regardless of the cause, more resources and support may be needed for the growing number of children and adolescents affected by type 1 diabetes. (BBC)
