Coronavirus Disease 2019, Diabetes, and Inflammation: A Systemic Review

People with cardiometabolic diseases [namely type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, or metabolic syndrome] are more susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and endure more severe illness and poorer outcomes. Hyperinflammation has been suggested as a common pathway for both diseases. To examine the role of inflammatory biomarkers shared between COVID-19 and cardiometabolic diseases, we reviewed and evaluated published data using PubMed, SCOPUS, and World Health Organization COVID-19 databases for English articles from December 2019 to February 2022. Of 248 identified articles, 50 were selected and included. We found that people with diabetes or obesity have (i) increased risk of COVID-19 infection; (ii) increased risk of hospitalization (those with diabetes have a higher risk of intensive care unit admissions) and death; and (iii) heightened inflammatory and stress responses (hyperinflammation) to COVID-19, which worsen their prognosis. In addition, COVID-19-infected patients have a higher risk of developing T2D, especially if they have other comorbidities. Treatments controlling blood glucose levels and or ameliorating the inflammatory response may be valuable for improving clinical outcomes in these patient populations. In conclusion, it is critical for health care providers to clinically evaluate hyperinflammatory states to drive clinical decisions for COVID-19 patients.