Risk and predictors of severity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and COVID-19 in Dubai

BACKGROUND Globally,patients with diabetes suffer from increased disease severity and mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Old age,high body mass index(BMI),comorbidities,and complications of diabetes are recognized as major risk factors for infection severity and mortality.AIM To investigate the risk and predictors of higher severity and mortality among inhospital patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes(T2D)during the first wave of the pandemic in Dubai(March–September 2020).METHODS In this cross-sectional nested case-control study,a total of 1083 patients with COVID-19 were recruited.This study included 890 men and 193 women.Of these,427 had T2D and 656 were non-diabetic.The clinical,radiographic,and laboratory data of the patients with and without T2D were compared.Independent predictors of mortality in COVID-19 non-survivors were identified in patients with and without T2D.RESULTS T2D patients with COVID-19 were older and had higher BMI than those without T2D.They had higher rates of comorbidities such as hypertension,ischemic heart disease,heart failure,and more life-threatening complications.All laboratory parameters of disease severity were significantly higher than in those without T2D.Therefore,these patients had a longer hospital stay and a significantly higher mortality rate.They died from COVID-19 at a rate three times higher than patients without.Most laboratory and radiographic severity indices in non-survivors were high in patients with and without T2D.In the univariate analysis of the predictors of mortality among all COVID-19 non-survivors,significant associations were identified with old age,increased white blood cell count,lymphopenia,and elevated serum troponin levels.In multivariate analysis,only lymphopenia was identified as an independent predictor of mortality among T2D non-survivors.CONCLUSION Patients with COVID-19 and T2D were older with higher BMI,more comorbidities,higher disease severity indices,more severe proinflammatory state with cardiac involvement,and died from COVID-19 at three times the rate of patients without T2D.The identified mortality predictors will help healthcare workers prioritize the management of patients with COVID-19.

Utility of oral glucose tolerance test in predicting type 2 diabetes following gestational diabetes:Towards personalized care

BACKGROUND Women with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)are at a seven-fold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes(T2D)within 7-10 years after childbirth,compared with those with normoglycemic pregnancy.Although raised fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels has been said to be the main significant predictor of postpartum progression to T2D,it is difficult to predict who among the women with GDM would develop T2D.Therefore,we conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study to examine the glycemic indices that can predict postnatal T2D in Emirati Arab women with a history of GDM.AIM To assess how oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)can identify the distinct GDM pathophysiology and predict possible distinct postnatal T2D subtypes.METHODS The glycemic status of a cohort of 4603 pregnant Emirati Arab women,who delivered in 2007 at both Latifa Women and Children Hospital and at Dubai Hospital,United Arab Emirates,was assessed retrospectively,using the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups(IADPSG)criteria.Of the total,1231 women were followed up and assessed in 2016.The FBG and/or the 2-h blood glucose(2hrBG)levels after a 75-g glucose load were measured to assess the prevalence of GDM and T2D,according to the IADPSG and American Diabetes Association(ADA)criteria,respectively.The receiver operating characteristic curve for the OGTT was plotted and sensitivity,specificity,and predictive values of FBG and 2hrBG for T2D were determined.RESULTS Considering both FBG and 2hrBG levels,according to the IADPSG criteria,the prevalence of GDM in pregnant Emirati women in 2007 was 1057/4603(23%),while the prevalence of pre-pregnancy T2D among them,based on ADA criteria,was 230/4603(5%).In the subset of women(n=1231)followed up in 2016,the prevalence of GDM in 2007 was 362/1231(29.6%),while the prevalence of prepregnancy T2D was 36/1231(2.9%).Of the 362 pregnant women with GDM in 2007,96/362(26.5%)developed T2D;142/362(39.2%)developed impaired fasting glucose;29/362(8.0%)developed impaired glucose tolerance,and the remaining 95/362(26.2%)had normal glycemia in 2016.The prevalence of T2D,based on ADA criteria,stemmed from the prevalence of 36/1231(2.9%)in 2007 to 141/1231(11.5%),in 2016.The positive predictive value(PPV)for FBG suggests that if a woman tested positive for GDM in 2007,the probability of developing T2D in 2016 was approximately 24%.The opposite was observed when 2hrBG was used for diagnosis.The PPV value for 2hrBG suggests that if a woman was positive for GDM in 2007 then the probability of developing T2D in 2016 was only 3%.CONCLUSION FBG and 2hrBG could predict postpartum T2D,following antenatal GDM.However,each test reflects different pathophysiology and possible T2D subtype and could be matched with a relevant T2D prevention program.