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Patients Who Receive Steroids for IBD At Heightened Risk for Diabetes
by GEN Staff

Mining data from electronic health records (EHRs), researchers at Columbia University in New York City looked for a link between the use of steroids and blood sugar problems in 1,719 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Of those patients, 698 had received glucocorticoid drugs.
Among the steroid users, 140 (20%) developed steroid-induced diabetes compared with 21 patients (5.8%) who did not receive the drugs (odds ratio [OR], 7.42). More than one-fourth (27.5%) of patients with IBD who received steroids developed prediabetes compared with 67 of those (18.5%) who did not take the drugs (OR, 2.25).
In addition to use of steroids, the researchers found that increasing age and intake of parenteral nutrition products raised the risk for diabetes, and that being male and using parenteral nutrition were risk factors for developing prediabetes.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to determine the prevalence and risk factors for [steroid-induced diabetes and prediabetes] in patients with IBD,” the researchers reported. “Gastroenterologists should be aware of the high prevalence” of these conditions in this population, “and should screen those treated with glucocorticoids for hyperglycemia. Using the EHR for automated detection of high-risk patients is possible and could result in earlier diagnosis, timelier treatment and possibly improved outcomes.”
The researchers presented their findings at the 2014 annual meeting of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (abstract 369).

Patients Who Receive Steroids for IBD At Heightened Risk for Diabetes by GEN Staff

Mining data from electronic health records (EHRs), researchers at Columbia University in New York City looked for a link between the use of steroids and blood sugar problems in 1,719 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Of those patients, 698 had received glucocorticoid drugs. Among the steroid users, 140 (20%) developed steroid-induced diabetes compared with 21 patients (5.8%) who did not receive the drugs (odds ratio [OR], 7.42). More than one-fourth (27.5%) of patients with IBD who received steroids developed prediabetes compared with 67 of those (18.5%) who did not take the drugs (OR, 2.25). In addition to use of steroids, the researchers found that increasing age and intake of parenteral nutrition products raised the risk for diabetes, and that being male and using parenteral nutrition were risk factors for developing prediabetes. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to determine the prevalence and risk factors for [steroid-induced diabetes and prediabetes] in patients with IBD,” the researchers reported. “Gastroenterologists should be aware of the high prevalence” of these conditions in this population, “and should screen those treated with glucocorticoids for hyperglycemia. Using the EHR for automated detection of high-risk patients is possible and could result in earlier diagnosis, timelier treatment and possibly improved outcomes.” The researchers presented their findings at the 2014 annual meeting of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (abstract 369).