Effects of COVID-19 Time on the Development of Pre-impaired Glucose Tolerance State in Children and Adolescents With Overweight and Obesity

Abstract Objectives We aimed to characterize the effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on 2-h glucose values after an OGTT postulating a correlation between 2-h glucose spectrum and the decline of β-cell function. Particularly, we tried to evaluate the effects on the risk of showing 2-h glucose values in the highest range of normal values in obese children and adolescent during COVID-19 Pandemic compared to those evaluated during the 13 years before. Subjects/Methods Data from 532 obese and overweight children and adolescents (before COVID-19 Pandemic, 209M/262F, 2008–2019; during COVID-19 Pandemic, 40M/21F, 2020–2021) who had undergone a complete evaluation and had performed an OGTT after their first visit were analyzed. The two groups were further divided into three sub-groups based on the 2-h glucose values, group 1 (< 100 mg/dL), group 2 (100–119 mg/dL), group 3 (120–139 mg/dL), respectively. The prevalence of 2-h glucose values distribution in children was evaluated between the pre- and during COVID-19 Pandemic period and the main differences between the two groups 3 of each period were analyzed. Results A significant difference (P = 0.01) in terms of distribution of the prevalence of 2-h glucose values was documented between the group before COVID-19 (35.6%, 45.9% and 18.5%) and the group during COVID-19 Pandemic period (31.1%, 31.1% and 37.8%). A roughly doble higher prevalence of subjects with pre-IGT was documented in the COVID-19 group. In addition, group 3 of COVID-19 time showed significantly higher values for waist circumference (WC), Waist/Height ratio (WtHR), fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, and AUC Insulin, compared to the group 3 of the period before COVID-19 Pandemic (all P < 0.05). Conclusions During COVID-19 time a higher percentage of children are in the highest range of normal 2-h glucose values which is known to be associated with a significant impairment of β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity and at higher risk of developing IGT.