Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : August 24, 2022 12:29 PM IST
The United States has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases (92,364,032) and deaths related to the disease (1,029,936) worldwide. More than 15,000 monkeypox cases have also been confirmed in the US, the highest number recorded so far in the world. Besides COVID-19 and monkeypox infections, the US is also currently dealing with an alarming rise in type 2 diabetes among children, according to a study report.
The report is based on a nationwide review of medical records conducted by researchers across the United States, including those at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. The findings were published in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Is COVID-19 infection making children prone to type 2 diabetes? The investigators are not clear about this connection. But they believe that the shift from offline to online learning and shutdown of sports and school activities during the pandemic could be the "environmental factors" leading to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes among children.
Reduced physical activity and weight gain are two common risk factors for type 2 diabetes, noted Sheela N. Magge, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-first author of the paper.
The COVID-19 lockdown affected the normal day-to-day routines of children like going to school, playing sports and other hobbies, and hence they became less physically active. When they were confined to their homes, they spent more time watching TV, playing video games, or with other electronic devices, Magge stated.
In the multi-site study, the investigators compared the rates of new-onset type 2 diabetes in young people (age 8 to 21) in the two years prior to the pandemic (March 1, 2018, to Feb. 29, 2020) to the first year of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021). Total 3,113 pediatric patients were identified during that period from 24 centers across the U.S.
In terms of the average number of new diagnoses per year, they found an increase of 77 per cent during the first year of the pandemic (1,463) as compared to the two pre-pandemic years (825).
To their surprise, more boys were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than girls during the first year of the pandemic. Typically, girls beat boys when it comes to new-onset type 2 diabetes, though the reason is unclear.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the body's ability to regulate, use and process sugar (glucose), resulting in high blood sugar levels. If not treated and controlled, it can cause heart disease, kidney damage, impaired vision and many more irreversible problems.
Although this condition is generally associated with adults, the risk is increasing among younger population mainly due to excess weight or obesity.
Concerningly, previous research has shown that children with diabetes tend to get complications faster than adults.
Based on their findings, the researchers stressed the importance of screening for type 2 diabetes in children.
Parents should pay attention to their children's weight gain and talk to pediatricians about it. Magge has also advised parents to focus on exercising and a healthy diet for their kids.
