The Risk of Diabetes on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: To determine the role of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we explored the clinical characteristics of patients with DM and compared risk factors such as age, glycemic control, and medications to those without DM. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 117 confirmed patients with COVID-19 which conducted at a tertiary hospital in Daegu, South Korea. The primary outcome was defined as the severe and critical outcome (SCO), of which the composite out comes of acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, intensive care unit care, and 28-day mortality. We analyzed what clini cal features and glycemic control-related factors affect the prognosis of COVID-19 in the DM group. Results: After exclusion, 110 participants were finally included. DM patients (n=29) was older, and showed higher blood pres sure compared to non-DM patients. DM group showed higher levels of inflammation-related biomarkers and severity score, and highly progressed to SCO. After adjustment with other risk factors, DM increased the risk of SCO (odds ratio [OR], 10.771; P