Post-pandemic insights: Increased insulin resistance without dysglycemia in youths with overweight and obesity.

Abstract

Background: During the pandemic, lifestyle changes such as curfews, physical distancing, and increased screen time may have contributed to weight gain and obesity, raising the risk of dysglycemia in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to reveal the change in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results of pediatric patients and adolescents before and after the declaration of the pandemic.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements, physical examination findings, and laboratory results of patients with overweight or obesity who underwent the OGTT in 1-year periods before and after the pandemic declaration (2019 vs. 2021) in a tertiary single pediatric endocrinology center were obtained from the archive.

Results: OGTT was performed on 146 (43.8% boys) before the pandemic declaration and 246 (37.3% boys) consecutive patients (68% increase) after the pandemic declaration. While there were no substantial variations in body mass index (BMI), BMI standard deviations (SD), glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and lipid profile, distinct changes were observed in insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), calcium, vitamin D, OGTT 0- and 30-min glucose, as well as ≥30-min and total insulin values.

Conclusion: This study reveals a significant rise in insulin resistance diagnoses in youths with overweight and obesity undergoing OGTT post-pandemic, while dysglycemia rates remained stable. These findings highlight the need to assess insulin levels alongside glucose in OGTTs for this population, as results may not apply to the broader pediatric group.