Clinical characteristics and risk factors for COVID-19-related adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Abstract Background: The association between risk factors and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 disease (COVID-19) related mortality among people with diabetes mellitus (DM) is uncertain. Methods: Consecutive patients with COVID-19 with type 2 DM admitted to our tertiary care centre from July 2020 to January 2021 were included in this cross-sectional study. Data including clinical, laboratory, respiratory, inflammatory biomarkers and radiological parameters were collected and compared between non-survivors and survivors. Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to analyse the risk factors associated with the mortality in COVID-19 patients with diabetes. Results: Two hundred and sixty three patients with COVID-19 were included. Of these, 173 (65.8%) had survived. Demographic, laboratory, inflammatory and pulmonary parameters were significantly different between the survivors and non-survivors (P < 0.05 for all). Time to hospitalisation from symptom onset (days) was longer in non-survivors compared to survivors (7 Vs 4 days; P = 0.0001). Computed tomography severity scores were higher in non-survivors than survivors (P = 0.0001). The hospital stay was prolonged in non-survivors (P < 0.0001). Adjusted cox-proportional hazard model showed increased neutrophil count and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were independent factors associated with COVID-19-related mortality in diabetic patients. Conclusions: We found that the non survivors as compared to the survivors showed multiple negative outcomes in terms of laboratory, inflammatory and pulmonary findings. ICU admission and elevated neutrophil count were independently associated with death in COVID-19 patients with DM.