Diabetes in COVID-19: Prevalence, pathophysiology, prognosis and practical considerations

Abstract

Background and aims: High prevalence of diabetes makes it an important comorbidity in patients with COVID-19. We sought to review and analyze the data regarding the association between diabetes and COVID-19, pathophysiology of the disease in diabetes and management of patients with diabetes who develop COVID-19 infection. Methods: PubMed database and Google Scholar were searched using the key terms ‘COVID-19’, ‘SARSCoV-2’, ‘diabetes’, ‘antidiabetic therapy’ up to April 2, 2020. Full texts of the retrieved articles were accessed. Results: There is evidence of increased incidence and severity of COVID-19 in patients with diabetes. COVID-19 could have effect on the pathophysiology of diabetes. Blood glucose control is important not only for patients who are infected with COVID-19, but also for those without the disease. Innovations like telemedicine are useful to treat patients with diabetes in today’s times.