Clinical characteristics and outcomes in diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Southwestern Iran

Background. Diabetes is one of the most common diseases among hospitalized patients due to COVID-19. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of diabetic and non-diabetic patients with COVID-19 that may lead to death. Methods. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted to hospitals due to COVID-19. The data, including demographic data, symptoms and signs, underlying diseases, patient progress, and outcomes were obtained from 38 hospitals in the registry system of Khuzestan province (the southwest of Iran) between January 19, 2020 and March 8, 2021. The Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the data. Results. Data from 23,447 hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 were included in the study. Four thousand three hundred and forty participants (18.5%) with a mean age of 62 years had diabetes and 14.72% of them died. A multivariable Cox regression showed that the variables of age (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.78-3.95; P < 0.001), sex (HR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.001 - 1.35; P = 0.049) and comorbidities such as cancer (HR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.24 - 2.89; P = 0.003) and cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.24 - 2.89; P = 0.032) were associated with mortality in diabetic patients with COVID-19. Conclusion. This study showed that COVID-19 mortality was higher in men, the elderly, and people with cardiovascular disease and cancer. Therefore, the management and prevention of COVID-19 in diabetic patients with these characteristics are vital.