COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus: A need for prudence in elderly patients from a pooled analysis

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Rupak Desai, Atlanta VA Medical Center; Sandeep Singh, University of Amsterdam; Tarang Parekh, George Mason University; Sonali Sachdeva, Lady Hardinge Medical College; Rajesh Sachdeva, Atlanta VA Medical Center; Gautam Kumar, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-07-01
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Diabetes India
• License: Creative Commons Universal : Public Domain Dedication
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.021
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews
• ISSN: 1871-4021
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 683
• End Page: 685
• Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Type-2 diabetes; Elderly; Prevalence; COVID-19; Antidiabetic treatment
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Biology, Biostatistics

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pooled estimate of diabetes prevalence in young (<50 years) versus elderly (>50 years) COVID-19 cohorts. Methods: Studies published between December-2019 and March-2020 reporting demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases were identified. A total of 11 studies included accounting for 2084 COVID-19 patients. Results: The overall prevalence of diabetes in COVID-19 patients with a mean age>50 years was 13.2%, whereas studies with relatively younger patients (mean age <50 years) had a pooled prevalence of 9.0% Conclusion: The overall prevalence of diabetes in COVID-19 patients was found to be 13.2% with studies including relatively elderly patients showing higher rates of diabetes. The intermingled effects of diabetes with other cardiovascular comorbidities warrant age-specific outcomes data including the impact of ongoing antidiabetic treatment.