Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The World Health Organization has recognized a new coronavirus infection as a pandemic¹. As of early October 2020, the number of infected people worldwide amounted to more than 37 million². According to WHO data, the structure of morbidity of new coronavirus infection is dominated by elderly people and patients with comorbidities, among which the most frequent are diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, chronic lung diseases, and oncologic pathology³.

Objective: To determine the indices of carbohydrate metabolism in patients with COVID-19 in the acute phase of the disease.

Materials and methods: The object of research were 31 patients in the acute period of coronavirus infection caused by COVID-19. The age of the patients ranged from 32 to 80 years. Of these, there were 13 (41.9%) males and 18 (58.1%) females. All patients underwent standard clinical and anamnestic examinations: anthropometric, hemodynamic, laboratory examination included general and biochemical blood analysis, liver function indices, coagulogram, lipid spectrum parameters, fasting glycemia, HbA1c, fasting insulin levels, with HOMA-IR index determination, urea, creatinine with calculation of SCF and CRP.

Results of the study: Carbohydrate metabolism disorder in the form of increased fasting glucose level was revealed in 6 (19,4%) patients, mainly older than 50 years old with concomitant arterial hypertension, excessive body weight and obesity. In 4 patients with type 2 DM in anamnesis the duration of the disease was on average 6.8±1.7 years. In the majority of patients fasting glucose level was within the range of normal values (mean 4.4±0.7 mmol/l). HbA1c above the reference interval was observed in 32.3% of patients. When analyzing insulin resistance indices, increased insulin level was noted in 22.6% of cases, HOMA IR ≥2.7 was found in 35.5% of patients, mostly with coronavirus infection of moderate severity.

Conclusions: Thus, the presence of impaired carbohydrate metabolism is associated with a more severe course of coronavirus infection. At the time of admission, the group with a moderate course of coronavirus infection had more co-morbidities than patients in the group with a mild course.

References: 1. World Health Organization. WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - March 11, 2020 [Internet] 2020.2. World Health Organization. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard [Internet] 2020.3. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Situation report, 51. Geneva: WHO; 11 Mar 2020.