The roles of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors in prognosis of COVID 19 infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

COVID?19 is responsible for the latest pandemic. Dipeptidyl peptidase?4 (DPP?4) is one of the cellular receptors of interest for  oronavirus. The aim of this study was to assess the roles of DPP?4  nhibitors in prognosis of COVID?19 infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A retrospective cohort study was performed in 2020 in military medical centers affiliated to AJA  niversity of Medical Sciences in Tehran on 220 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted in medical centers with COVID?19 infection. We collected demographic data of patients including age,  ender, drug history, usage of DPP?4 inhibitors, clinical presentations at the time  f the first visit, and the disease outcome including hospitalization duration and need for respiratory assist.

The study population consisted  f 133 males (60.5%) and 87 females (39.5%), with a mean age of 66.13 ± 12.3 years. Forty?four patients (20%) consumed DPP?4 inhibitors   itagliptin and linagliptin). Patients who were treated with DPP?4 inhibitors required less oxygen (O2) therapies compared to other cases (76.7% vs. 88.6%, P = 0.04). Patients who were treated with DPP?4 inhibitors had significantly lower hospitalization duration compared to other cases (6.57 ± 2.3 days vs. 8.03 ± 4.4 days, respectively, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups of patients regarding  urvival rates (P = 0.55). Age was a predictive factor for survival (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–1.23; P = 0.004).

DPP?4 inhibitors could significantly decrease hospitalization days in  atients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were hospitalized for COVID?19.However, DPP?4 inhibitor usage showed no statistically significant impact on survival. Age was the important prognostic factor.