Table 1 Baseline features of hospitalized Covid-19 patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes, and patients experiencing the primary composite outcome (admission to ICU, mechanical ventilation or death), compared with those discharged alive not experiencing an event

Age ≥ 70, n (%)

90 (33.0)

52 (64.2)

 < 0.001

42 (28.2)

65 (50.8)

 < 0.001

Male sex, n (%)

165 (60.2)

50 (61.7)

0.81

84 (56.4)

86 (67.2)

0.065

Body mass index (Kg/m²)

26.1 [23.9–28.6]*

27.0 [24.8–29.4]**

0.20

25.2 [23.4–27.7]***

27.1 [25.0–29.4]****

0.002

Diabetes, n (%)

N/A

N/A

N/A

23 (15.4)

40 (31.2)

0.002

Diabetes therapy, n (%)

N/A

N/A

N/A

 Diet alone, n (%)

1 (4.8)

4 (10.8)

0.64

 EuGla, n (%)

9 (42.9)

17 (45.9)

0.82

 OHA (alone or in combination with EuGlA), n (%)

4 (19.0)

3 (8.1)

0.22

 Basal insulin (alone or in combination with EuGlA or OHA), n (%)

0 (0.0)

4 (10.8)

0.29

 MDI, n (%)

7 (33.3)

9 (24.3)

0.46

Hypertension, n (%)

126 (46.1)

54 (66.7)

0.001

62 (41.6)

86 (67.2)

 < 0.001

Drugs acting on RAAS

 ACEi, n (%)

− 36 (13.2)

− 19 (23.5)

0.011

24 (16.1)

23 (18.0)

0.55

 ARBs, n (%)

− 40 (14.7)

− 14 (17.3)

0.42

20 (13.4)

19 (14.8)

0.60

Dyslipidaemia, n (%)

49 (18.0)

29 (37.2)

 < 0.001

28 (18.9)

37 (29.1)

0.047

Smoking

^

^^

^^^

^^^^

 Never, n (%)

203 (83.2)

55 (75.3)

0.13

100 (77.5)

92 (80.7)

0.54

 Ever, n (%)

41 (16.8)

18 (24.6)

29 (22.9)

22 (19.3)

   Ex, n (%)

31 (12.7)

17 (23.3)

0.055^#

19 (14.7)

21 (18.4)

0.032^#

   Current, n (%)

10 (4.1)

1 (1.4)

10 (7.8)

1 (0.9)

Prior CV event, n (%)

21 (7.7)

13 (16.0)

0.026

14 (9.5)

16 (12.5)

0.42

Prior heart failure, n (%)

11 (4.1)

10 (12.8)

0.005

6 (4.1)

13 (10.6)

0.038

Prior malignancy, n (%)

14 (5.2)

6 (7.7)

0.40

6 (4.0)

10 (7.9)

0.17

Prior COPD, n (%)

27 (10.0)

17 (21.2)

0.008

11 (7.4)

28 (21.9)

0.001

Antiviral therapy, n (%)

103 (37.7)

29 (35.8)

0.77

60 (40.3)

60 (46.9)

0.27

Plasma glucose (mg/dL)

102 [93–118]

151 [117–215]

 < 0.001

101 [93–119]

119 [99–160]

 < 0.001

Serum creatinine (mg/dL)

0.81 [0.70–1.04]

1.03 [0.82–1.50]

 < 0.001

0.83 [0.70–1.03]

0.97 [0.72–1.26]

0.016

ESR (mm/hr)

42.5 [23.5–59]

73.5 [43–86]

0.075

38 [24–65]

78 [54–79]

0.19

CRP (mg/L)

2.71 [0.82–7.52]

5.06 [1.70–10.58]

0.014

1.84 [0.59–4.17]

6.37 [2.09–13.52]

 < 0.001

Lactate dehydrogenase (U/L)

272.5 [216–344]

289 [218–386]

0.31

254 [210–314]

313 [246–399]

 < 0.001

Fibrinogen (mg/dL)

470.5 [383.5–800]

556 [467–752]

0.028

479 [372–800]

524 [426–800]

0.064

D-dimer (mg/L)

450 [1.57–891]

432 [4.09–1440]

0.31

357 [0.89–780]

598 [214–1250]

0.006

White blood cell count (× 10⁹/L)

5.90 [4.38–8.48]

6.79 [5.46–8.80]

0.045

5.73 [4.08–7.20]

7.04 [5.11–9.67]

 < 0.001

Lymphocytes (× 10⁹/L)

1.11 [0.73–1.66]

1.07 [0.75–1.48]

0.38

1.20 [0.81–1.65]

0.95 [0.65–1.52]

0.015

Neutrophil count (× 10⁹/L)

3.97 [2.67–6.0]

4.84 [0.75–1.48]

0.017

3.78 [2.62–5.12]

5.25 [3.65–7.7]

 < 0.001

Blood gas analysis

 pH

7.46 [7.42–7.49]

7.46 [7.42–7.48]

0.45

7.45 [7.43–7.48]

7.46 [7.41–7.50]

0.95

 PaO₂/FIO₂ ratio

367 [281–438]

322 [237–394]

0.012

405 [350–462]

281 [186–333]

 < 0.001

 pCO₂, mmHg

34.0 [31.0–37.0]

35.7 [33.0–39.0]

0.055

34.9 [31.0–37.0]

35 [31.0–38.2]

0.43

 HCO₃, mmol/l

24.2 [22.2–26.0]

24.6 [22.4–27.1]

0.45

24.0 [22.4–25.5]

24.5 [22.0–28.0]

0.16

 Venous lactate, mmol/l

1.2 [0.9–2.1]

1.7 [1.2–7.0]

 < 0.001

1.2 [0.8–1.8]

1.5 [1.0–8.0]

0.002