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Published on: June 11, 2012

COVID-19 In-Hospital Mortality in People with Diabetes Is Driven by Comorbidities and Age-Propensity Score-Matched

Faisal Aziz1, Felix Aberer1, Alexander Bräuer2

  • 1Interdisciplinary Metabolic Medicine Trials Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.

Viruses
|December 28, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Diabetes increases intensive care unit (ICU) admission risk in COVID-19 patients. However, comorbidities, not diabetes itself, drive in-hospital mortality, suggesting a need for comprehensive management strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Clinical Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Debate exists on whether diabetes or its comorbidities cause severe COVID-19 outcomes.
  • This study investigates the impact of diabetes on intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the independent impact of diabetes on severe COVID-19 outcomes.
  • To differentiate the effects of diabetes versus comorbidities on ICU admission and mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of a nationwide cohort of 40,632 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (March 2020-March 2021).
  • Utilized Austrian data platform for patient information.
  • Employed unmatched and propensity-score matched (PSM) logistic regression to analyze the association of diabetes with outcomes.

Main Results:

  • 12.2% of patients had diabetes; 14.5% were admitted to ICU; 16.2% died.
  • Unmatched analysis: Diabetes associated with higher in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.24) and ICU admission (OR: 1.36).
  • PSM analysis: Diabetes not significantly associated with mortality (OR: 1.08) but remained associated with higher ICU admission (OR: 1.15).

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 patients with diabetes showed increased likelihood of ICU admission.
  • Advanced age and comorbidities, rather than diabetes itself, were linked to increased in-hospital mortality.
  • Findings highlight the importance of managing comorbidities in diabetic patients with COVID-19.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2diabetesintensive caremortality

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