Increased Incidence of New-Onset Diabetic Retinopathy in Individuals with COVID-19 in an Underserved Urban Population in the Bronx

Increased Incidence of New-Onset Diabetic Retinopathy in Individuals with COVID-19 in an Underserved Urban Population in the Bronx

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> To investigate the incidence of new-onset diabetic retinopathy (DR) in individuals with pre-existing type 2 diabetes (T2D) up to 3 years post SARS-CoV-2 infection. <b>Methods:</b> This retrospective study consisted of 5151 COVID-19 and 5151 prope...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jai Mehrotra-Varma, Sonya Henry, Diane Chernoff, Andre Galenchik-Chan, Katie S. Duong, Shiv Mehrotra-Varma, Stephen H. Wang, Tim Q. Duong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Diagnostics
Subjects:
long COVID
post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)
type 2 diabetes mellitus
diabetic complications
HbA1C
glucose
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/15/1846
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Summary:<b>Background/Objectives:</b> To investigate the incidence of new-onset diabetic retinopathy (DR) in individuals with pre-existing type 2 diabetes (T2D) up to 3 years post SARS-CoV-2 infection. <b>Methods:</b> This retrospective study consisted of 5151 COVID-19 and 5151 propensity-matched non-COVID-19 patients with T2D in the Montefiore Health System between 1 March 2020 and 17 January 2023. The primary outcome was new-onset DR at least 2 months after the index date up to 17 January 2023. Matching for index date between groups was also used to ensure the same follow-up duration. Hazard ratios (HRs) were computed, adjusted for competing risks. <b>Results:</b> T2D patients with COVID-19 had a higher cumulative incidence of DR than T2D patients. The unadjusted HR for COVID-19 status for developing new DR was 2.44 [1.60, 3.73], <i>p</i> < 0.001. The adjusted HR was 1.70 [1.08, 2.70], <i>p</i> < 0.05, and the adjusted HR for prior insulin use was 3.28 [2.10, 5.12], <i>p</i> < 0.001. Sex, ethnicity, and major comorbidities had no significant association with outcome. <b>Conclusions:</b> T2D patients who contracted COVID-19 exhibited a significantly higher risk of developing DR within three years post infection compared to propensity-matched controls. The increased incidence was primarily driven by greater pre-existing insulin usage and SARS-CoV-2 infection in the COVID-19 positive cohort.
ISSN:2075-4418

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