Patients exposed to systemic glucocorticoids during hospital stays are at a higher risk of developing new-onset diabetes, according to research presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes' annual meeting held from September 9 to 13 in Madrid.

The study, led by Dr. Rajna Golubic from the University of Oxford, examined the relationship between systemic glucocorticoid use and the onset of diabetes. Glucocorticoids are commonly prescribed for autoimmune, inflammatory diseases, and infections, making them a frequent component of hospital treatments.

The researchers analyzed data from 451,606 adults without prior diabetes (median age 52 years) and compared the incidence of new-onset diabetes in those who had been exposed to glucocorticoids during hospitalization to those who had not. The findings revealed a significant increase in diabetes risk among the exposed group. Specifically, 1.8% of patients exposed to glucocorticoids developed diabetes, compared to just 0.8% of those who had not been exposed.

The incidence rate for new-onset diabetes was 51.9 per 100 person-years among glucocorticoid-exposed patients, compared to 18.5 per 100 person-years for those who were not exposed. Patients in the exposed group also had a longer median hospital stay (three days) compared to the non-exposed group (one day).

The study calculated an age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for new-onset diabetes of 2.6, confirming that patients exposed to glucocorticoids were more than twice as likely to develop the condition.

"These latest results give clinical staff a better estimate of how likely new diabetes is to occur and could prompt doctors to plan clinical care more effectively to detect and manage new diabetes," said Dr. Golubic.

The study underscores the importance of monitoring patients who are prescribed glucocorticoids during hospitalization, particularly those with prolonged stays or underlying risk factors for diabetes. Detecting and managing new-onset diabetes early could improve long-term outcomes for these patients.