New-onset diabetes mellitus post COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies
PubMed 40803509 · doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112417
What was done
Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of peer-reviewed cohort studies searched across PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Scopus. The study compared the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) in individuals with COVID-19 to non-COVID controls, with subgroup analyses planned for diabetes type, age, COVID-19 severity, and corticosteroid use.
What was found
Across 12 cohort studies involving more than 48 million participants, COVID-19 infection was associated with an increased relative risk of NODM compared to controls (RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.07-1.84). Subgroup analysis indicated higher incidence of type 2 versus type 1 diabetes, and greater risk in adults and those with higher acute disease severity. Numerical effect sizes and confidence intervals for subgroups, as well as findings for corticosteroid use, were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This large meta-analysis links COVID-19 infection to elevated subsequent diabetes incidence, highlighting a need for post-illness glycemic surveillance, especially in adults hospitalized for severe infection.
Limits
The review relies entirely on observational cohort data, which is vulnerable to confounding and surveillance bias. The abstract omits measures of statistical heterogeneity, exact subgroup effect estimates, follow-up durations, and results regarding corticosteroid exposure.
Cited by
- supports COVID-19 infection has been shown to potentially trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes.