The efficacy and safety of sitagliptin administration in patients with Covid-19: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Coronavirus disease was associated with a high risk of mortality, especially among patients with underlying diseases. Effective treatments against Covid-19 could complement vaccination efforts worldwide. Methods: To determine the efficacy of Sitagliptin in the treatment of COVID-19. Randomized clinical trial study with a control group that was conducted on 40 covidd-19 patients. Block randomization method was used. The participants were divided into two groups (group A receiving Sitagliptin tablet at dose of 50 mg BID for 10 days and the group B receiving standard treatment without sitagliptin). Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, ratio, frequency table and percentage were used to describe the data, and chi-square test, independent t test and one- way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. SPSS v. 25 software was used for data analysis. The significance level in the tests was considered 0.05. Results: A significant difference was observed between the improvements of the total clinical score in the two groups, so that the people who used Sitagliptin received a higher clinical score; On the other hand, among the 20 patients who were in the control group, 18 patients were discharged from the hospital on the 7th day or earlier. Sitagliptin has an anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic and antiapoptotic properties; such effects may be beneficial in reducing risks of COVID-19. Conclusions: Sitagliptin also provides good safety and fair benefits to reduce mortality among DM patients with COVID-19.