Abstract
Studies have confirmed COVID-19 patients with diabetes are at higher risk of mortality than their non-diabetic counterparts. However, data-driven evidence of factors associated with increased mortality risk among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes is scarce in South Korea. This study was conducted to determine the mortality rate and identify risk factors of mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, South Korea. In this hospital-based, cross-sectional study, we enrolled a total of 324 patients with confirmed COVID-19, hospitalized at two of the tertiary level healthcare facilitates of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea from 18 February to 30 June 2020. Demographic and clinical data and laboratory profiles were analyzed and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors of mortality among diabetic patients with COVID-19. Of the 324 patients, 55 (16.97%) had diabetes mellitus. The mean age of all study subjects was 55 years, and the mean age of those with diabetes was greater than that of those without (69.8 years vs. 51.9 years). Remarkably, the mortality rate was much higher among those with diabetes (20.0% vs. 4.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that an older age (≥70 years) and a high serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels significantly predicted mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes. Our study cautions more attention to be paid to patients with diabetes mellitus hospitalized for COVID-19, especially those aged ≥ 70 years and those with a high serum LDH level, to reduce the risk of mortality.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and has since reached pandemic proportions, caused 646,000 deaths, and resulted in more than 16 million cases of COVID-19 as of 27 July 2020 [1]
The mortality rate in the diabetes group was remarkably higher than in the non-diabetes group (20.0% vs. 4.8%)
Patients in the diabetes group stayed in hospital longer (22.8 vs. 18.5 days. p = 0.035) and had significantly higher comorbidity rates (p < 0.05)
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and has since reached pandemic proportions, caused 646,000 deaths, and resulted in more than 16 million cases of COVID-19 as of 27 July 2020 [1]. In South Korea, 13,007 confirmed cases, and a total of 300 deaths were reported as of 28 July [2]. In addition to its devastating effects on health, the virus has caused severe economic disruption, and has markedly reduced quality of life worldwide [3,4,5,6]. It would seem that the COVID-19 pandemic is set to continue until game-changers like an effective vaccine and or therapy appear [7]. Until we Healthcare 2020, 8, 338; doi:10.3390/healthcare8030338 www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare
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