Hyperglycemia at admission is a strong predictor of mortality and severe/critical complications in COVID-19 patients: A meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Hyperglycemia at admission has been demonstrated to exacerbate the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but a meta-Analysis is lacking to further confirm this hypothesis. The purpose of this meta-Analysis was to summarize the evidence on the association between hyperglycemia at admission and the development of COVID-19. Method: Four databases namely, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library, were screened for eligible studies. STATA software was utilized to pool data for this meta-Analysis. The primary outcomes included mortality and severity. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with random-effects models, and the quality of evidence was appraised by the NewcastleOttawa Scale (NOS). This meta-Analysis was prospectively registered online on PROSPERO, CRD42020191763. Results: Sixteen observational studies with 6386 COVID-19 patients relating hyperglycemia at admission to COVID-19 outcomes were included. The overall data demonstrated that, compared with the control, the hyperglycemia at admission group was more likely to have increased mortality (OR = 3.45, 95% CI, 2.265.26) and severe/critical complications (OR = 2.08, 95% CI, 1.452.99) of COVID-19. Conclusion: Hyperglycemia at admission in COVID-19 patients may be a strong predictor of mortality and complications.