Diabetes mellitus como fator de risco para COVID-19: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Objective: To understand, through a literature review, the relationship of Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for a worse prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Bibliographic Review: The coronavirus has a great ease of transmission, so it spread quickly across the globe. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is now considered a health emergency of the century. The respiratory system is the main target system of the human body for the virus, this is due to the expression of ACE2 in the lungs. However, studies show that ACE2 expression is higher in the pancreas and, therefore, the virus can use DPP-4 as a co-receptor. Through these mechanisms the virus manages to influence the metabolism of insulin and glucose. In addition, diabetic patients due to hyperglycemia already have an inflammatory condition, which can be increased with COVID-19 infection. Final considerations: SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus, which still needs to be elucidated due to its influence on several organs. However, the relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus is evident, causing a worse prognosis in patients affected by both diseases.