A new study published in the journal Diabetologia indicates that poor glycemic control, while clearly a threat to anyone with diabetes, is not as foreboding as excessive body mass index when it comes to predicting poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19 and diabetes. The authors called BMI “an independent prognostic factor for disease severity in this population, whereas chronic [glycemic] control and routine therapies, such as RAAS blockers and DPP-4 inhibitors, did not impact the immediate severity of COVID-19.” Their findings reflect the care of 1,317 patients with diabetes who were hospitalized for COVID-19 at 53 sites in France between March 10 and March 31, 2020. Median BMI was 28.4; mean HbA1c was 65. By day 7 of hospitalization, 10.6% of patients had died, while 18% were discharged. Urgent care providers should be vigilant for diabetes status and BMI in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
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BMI, Not Glycemic Control, May Be the Chief Culprit for COVID-19 Patients with Diabetes