New-Onset T2DM During Pandemic Hospitalization rates for new- onset pediatric T2DM increased during the COVID-19 pandem- ic, according to a study present- ed at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Associ- ation. Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of ad- missions for new-onset T2DM from March- December 2019 and the same period in 2020 in a tertiary care children’s hospital. The hospi- talization rate for new onset diabetes increased from 0.27% in 2019 to 0.62% in 2020. Three and eight children in 2019 and 2020, respective- ly, met criteria for diabetic ketoacidosis, while in 2020, two met criteria for hyperosmolar hyper- glycemic syndrome. The mean admission A1Cs were 12.4% and 13.1% in 2019 and 2020, re- spectively, while mean admission glucose levels were 441 versus 669 mg/dL, respectively. The admission serum osmolality was 314 mmol/kg in 2019 and 335 mmol/kg in 2020. “While our study examined hospital admissions for T2D in children at one center, the results may be a mi- crocosm of what is happening at other children’s hospitals across the country,” a co-author wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 dis- rupted our lives in more ways than we realize. Our study reinforces the importance of main- taining a healthy lifestyle for children even under such difficult circumstances.”
