Mortality-related risk factors of inpatients with diabetes and COVID-19: A multicenter retrospective study in Belgium.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We describe mortality-related risk factors of inpatients with diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Belgium. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study from March to May, 2020, in 8 Belgian centers. Data on admission of patients with diabetes and COVID-19 were collected. Survivors were compared to non-survivors to identify prognostic risk factors for in-hospital death using multivariate analysis in both the total population and in the subgroup of patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU). RESULTS: The study included 375 patients. The mortality rate was 26.4% (99/375) in the total population and 40% (27/67) in the ICU. Multivariate analysis identified older age (HR 1.05 [CI 1.03-1.07], P<0.0001) and male gender (HR 2.01 [1.31-3.07], P=0.0013) as main independent risk factors for in-hospital death in the total population. Metformin (HR 0.51 [0.34-0.78], P=0.0018) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers (HR 0.56 [0.36-0.86], P=0.0088) use before admission were independent protective factors. In the ICU, chronic kidney disease (CKD) was identified as an independent risk factor for death (HR 4.96 [2.14-11.5], P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality due to the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium was high in patients with diabetes. We found that advanced age and male gender were independent risk factors for in-hospital death. We also showed that metformin use before admission was associated with a significant reduction of COVID-19-related in-hospital mortality. Finally, we showed that CKD is a COVID-19-related mortality risk factor in patients with diabetes admitted in the ICU.

Evaluation of the respective influence of thyroid hormones and TSH on blood coagulation parameters after total thyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: Several hemostatic abnormalities have been described in hypothyroidism, such as modification of coagulation proteins and bleeding tendency. Although thyroid hormone deficiency is considered to be responsible for these changes, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the respective influence of peripheral thyroid hormones (free thyroxine) and TSH on blood clotting by assessing coagulation parameters in patients with a history of total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer, under three different conditions: induced hypothyroidism, euthyroid state, and following recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) administration. METHODS: Coagulation parameters (platelet count, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio, prothrombin time, thrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), factor VIII activity ((FVIII:C), as well as von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) and VWF activity using collagen binding assay (VWF:CBA)) were measured in patients with severe hypothyroidism following withdrawal of thyroid hormone replacement therapy, and in the same patients with euthyroidism after restoring replacement treatment (group A), and before and after administering rhTSH (group B). RESULTS: FVIII:C, VWF:Ag, and VWF:CBA were significantly decreased (P<0.001), whereas APTT was significantly increased (P<0.001) in patients with severe hypothyroidism compared with patients in the euthyroid state. No changes in clotting parameters were observed in patients who received rhTSH therapy. CONCLUSION: This prospective study shows that severe short-term hypothyroidism is associated with significantly lower levels of VWF:Ag, VWF:CBA, and FVIII:C. Administration of exogenous TSH has no effect on coagulation parameters. These findings suggest that thyroid hormone deficiency is likely to be the main cause of coagulation alterations in patients with hypothyroidism.