Effects of Metformin, Insulin on Hematological Parameters of COVID-19 Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Analysis of hematologic parameters in COVID-19 patients with diabetes in Ukraine, showing significantly lower CRP for patients taking metformin.
Petakh et al., 1 Oct 2022, retrospective, Ukraine, peer-reviewed, median age 62.7, 6 authors, study period January 2022 - March 2022.
Abstract: Effects of Metformin, Insulin on Hematological Parameters of COVID-19 Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
ORIGINAL PAPER
doi: 10.5455/medarh.2022.76.329-332
MED ARCH. 2022 OCT; 76(5): 329-332
RECEIVED:
JUL 04, 2022
ACCEPTED:
AUG 10, 2022
Department of Microbiology, Virology,
and Immunology, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil
National Medical University, Ternopil,
Ukraine
1
2
Department of Biochemistry and
Pharmacology, Uzhhorod National
University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Uzhhorod, Ukraine
3
Department of Internal Diseases,
Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod,
Ukraine
4
5
Transcarpathian Regional Clinical
Infectious Hospital, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Corresponding author: Pavlo Petakh, MD.
Department of Microbiology, Virology, and
Immunology, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil
National Medical University, 46001
Ternopil, Ukraine. E-mail: pavlo@gmail.
com. ORCID ID: http//www.orcid.org/00000002-0860-4445.
Effects of Metformin, Insulin on
Hematological Parameters of
COVID-19 Patients with Type 2
Diabetes
Pavlo Petakh1,2, Vasilij Griga2, Issah Bin Mohammed3, Kateryna
Loshak4, Ivan Poliak5, Aleksandr Kamyshnyiy1
ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 infection caused by SARS-COV-2 can result in multi-organ injuries
and significant mortality in severe and critical patients, particularly those with type 2 diabetes as a comorbidity. Metformin and insulin are the main diabetes medications that affect
the outcome of patients with COVID-19. Objective: The purpose of our study was to find out
the features of the hematological indicators of patients with COVID-19 patients and type 2
diabetes. Methods: This is a retrospective study of the hospital confirmed COVID-19 patients
between January to March 2022, who were admitted to Transcarpathian Regional Clinical
Infectious Diseases Hospital (Uzhhorod, Ukraine). Results: The effect of type 2 diabetes,
metformin, and insulin on COVID-19 were analyzed, respectively. Demographics and blood
laboratory indices were collected. In patients who took metformin, the level of CRP was significantly lower than in patients who did not take metformin (24 mg/L [IQR 15 - 58] vs 52
mg/L, [IQR 22–121], P = 0.046). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that pre-admission metformin use may benefit COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes.
Keywords: COVID-19, diabetes, metformin, insulin.
1. BACKGROUND
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), was first reported in December
2019 (1, 2). The severity of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic to severe
infection leading to death (1).
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects over 463 million people around
the world (3). Studies reported that 20–50% of COVID-19 patients have diabetes depending on different areas (4). Also diabetic patients with COVID-19
had poorer prognosis compared to non-diabetic patients (5-7).
The diabetes medication regimen may have influenced the progression
(8, 9). The most commonly used diabetes medications are metformin and
insulin. Theoretical evidence suggests that metformin may be beneficial for
reducing proinflammatory and profibrotic states (2, 10, 11) and improving
immune response (12). Insulin treatment may increase the risk of poor prognosis by increasing renal Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression in diabetic mice (13).
2. OBJECTIVE
In this study, we sought to perform a retrospective analysis of metformin
and insulin effects in COVID-19 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
(T2DM).
© 2022 Pavlo Petakh,..
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