Covid-19 in Hospitalized Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Treated by Metformin: A Systemic Review and Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Metformin is a widely prescribed oral antihyperglycemic agent used as first line therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, there has been growing interest in the role of metformin in treating various inflammatory conditions. The aim of this analysis is to determine whether treatment with metformin is associated with lower mortality in those infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Method: A single-center retrospective study, carried out at the 5th Department of Internal Medicine in University Hospital in Bratislava. A total of 133 diabetic patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19, from 14th November 2020 to 7th May 2021, were grouped into metformin and no-metformin groups according to the diabetic medications used prior to hospitalization. The demographics, characteristics, laboratory parameters, treatment and clinical outcome in these patients were retrospectively assessed,

Results: Age and chronic microvascular complications of diabetes were significant risk factors for the mortality of COVID-19. There was no difference in the type of oxygen therapy, blood count and inflammatory markers in blood among patients taking metformin prior to hospitalization and patients with other antidiabetic treatments.

Conclusion: The analysis showed that metformin treatment was not associated with lower mortality, thus justifies the implementation of prospective studies to understand the mechanism and causality.