Glycolyzed hemoglobin as a poor prognostic factor in diabetic COVID-19 patients

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) seems to be conveying increased risk in Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the effect of glycemic control on the risk of prevalence and mortality in diabetic COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective observational study, the data from diabetic patients admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2021 were reviewed. The demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological data, and the course and outcomes were recorded. Results: The records of 352 diabetic patients were compared to 333 non-diabetic controls. The mean age of 184 male and 168 female patients was 63.7±13.0 (30–91). The length of hospital stay, rate of Intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality were higher in the diabetic population compared to the non-diabetic counterparts. ICU admission and mortality rates were significantly higher in the group with HbA1c higher than 7%. The rate of ICU admission and mortality was significantly higher in participants with elevated HbA1cConclusions: Uncontrolled DM is among detrimental comorbidities contributing to the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and good control of serum glucose levels will improve prognosis in COVID-19. The diabetic population with poor glycemic control succumbed more to COVID-19.