The Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on the Course of COVID-19 Pneumonia

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most commonly encountered chronic diseases throughout the world. We aimed to reveal the association between such a common disease and COVID-19-related pneumonia posing a global threat, and its impact on the course of the disease.
METHODS: In our study, 125 patients diagnosed and treated due to COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed in our hospital within two months. While 25 patients were in the group with DM,there was no comorbidity in 100 patients.The main goal of our study was to evaluate isolatedly the effect of DM on COVID-19 pneumonia when other comorbidities were excluded. For this purpose, we compared the demographic characteristics, symptoms, and signs of the disease, laboratory parameters, computerized tomography(CT) findings, and some data about the clinical course of the disease between two patient groups.
RESULTS: Based on the findings of the analyzes, those in the case group were seen to be older. Such respiratory symptoms as cough and shortness of breath were found to be more common in the case group.Inflammatory parameters, such as c-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count, and D-dimer were also higher in the case group. As well as the poor progression of the disease, the requirements for intensive care unit (ICU) andoxygen (O2), hospitalization period, and mortality rates were also higher among diabetic patients.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The existence of DM poses a risk in terms of requiring care in ICU, severe pace ofthe disease, and higher mortality in those with COVID-19 pneumonia.