Journal of Diabetes Investigation (Jul 2022)

Impact of diabetes and Krebs von den Lungen‐6 on coronavirus disease 2019 severity: A single‐center study from Japan

  • Yosuke Yakushiji,
  • Koka Motoyama,
  • Mayu Fukuda,
  • Hisako Takahashi,
  • Makiko Kimura,
  • Satoshi Tazoe,
  • Hiromi Iida,
  • Anna Tamai,
  • Takeshi Sakura,
  • Yoshihiro Isaka,
  • Mariko Fukumoto,
  • Keiko Yamagami,
  • Hidenori Nakagawa,
  • Michinori Shirano,
  • Masayuki Hosoi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.13784
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 7
pp. 1277 – 1285

Abstract

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Abstract Aims/Introduction Diabetes mellitus is reported as a risk factor for increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) severity and mortality, but there have been few reports from Japan. Associations between diabetes mellitus and COVID‐19 severity and mortality were investigated in a single Japanese hospital. Materials and Methods Patients aged ≥20 years admitted to Osaka City General Hospital for COVID‐19 treatment between April 2020 and March 2021 were included in this retrospective, observational study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine whether diabetes mellitus contributes to COVID‐19‐related death and severity. Results Of the 262 patients included, 108 (41.2%) required invasive ventilation, and 34 (13.0%) died in hospital. The diabetes group (n = 92) was significantly older, more obese, had longer hospital stays, more severe illness and higher mortality than the non‐diabetes group (n = 170). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.054, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.023–1.086), body mass index (OR 1.111, 95% CI 1.028–1.201), history of diabetes mellitus (OR 2.429, 95% CI 1.152–5.123), neutrophil count (OR 1.222, 95% CI 1.077–1.385), C‐reactive protein (OR 1.096, 95% CI 1.030–1.166) and Krebs von den Lungen‐6 (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.000–1.003) were predictors for COVID‐19 severity (R2 = 0.468). Meanwhile, age (OR 1.104, 95% CI 1.037–1.175) and Krebs von den Lungen‐6 (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.001–1.005) were predictors for COVID‐19‐related death (R2 = 0.475). Conclusions Diabetes mellitus was a definite risk factor for COVID‐19 severity in a single Japanese hospital treating moderately‐to‐severely ill patients.

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