# Mechanisms for Activation of Beige Adipose Tissue in Humans; Supplement

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2022 · $472,519

## Abstract

Abstract
This proposal is a supplement to “Mechanisms for Activation of Beige Adipose Tissue in Humans”, R01
DK124626 in response to NOT-DK-22-017. The supplement is titled: “Impact of COVID-19 on diabetes
incidence and severity in the United States and Kentucky”.
There is mounting evidence that COVID-19 is associated with increased risk of incident diabetes. This
supplement assembles a team of Endocrinologists, Pulmonary intensivists, Informaticians, Epidemiologists and
Statisticians who will perform a detailed analysis of linked comprehensive data sets to identify key factors (and
putative mechanisms) that relate COVID-19 infection to incident diabetes. In the proposed project, the team
will explore the COVID and incident diabetes relationship among adults and children using three distinct data
sources: 1) a large, nationwide database of commercially insured individuals (MarketScan), 2) Kentucky state
Medicaid claims data, and 3) detailed clinical data from the University of Kentucky HealthCare (UKHC)
electronic health record (EHR). Our overall hypothesis is that new onset diabetes is greater in subjects with the
most severe COVID infections and in areas of Kentucky with the health disparities. To address these
hypotheses, we propose the following Specific Aims, 1) to compare population-level trends in the incidence
and severity of new onset diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) to historical data (2018-2019)
in three distinct study populations, and 2) to examine the association between COVID infection and incident
diabetes at the individual level using a matched, retrospective cohort design. We will also examine factors that
modify this association, including severity of diabetes, diabetes type, sociodemographics (age, race/ethnicity,
region), BMI, severity of COVID infection, vaccination status, timing of diabetes onset following COVID-19, and
overall health from diagnosis codes, lab values, medications and clinical notes. In summary, this study will
examine the relationship between COVID-19 and incident diabetes in very different populations, including rural
Kentucky, which has high health disparities. In addition, we will examine the effects of prior vaccination, which
may lessen the severity of disease and decrease diabetes incidence.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10630687
- **Project number:** 3R01DK124626-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Philip A Kern
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $472,519
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-12-01 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10630687

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10630687, Mechanisms for Activation of Beige Adipose Tissue in Humans; Supplement (3R01DK124626-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-06 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10630687. Licensed CC0.

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