Current best evidence for clinical care (more info)
AIMS: DPP-4 inhibitors are predicted to exert a protective effect on the progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate this hypothesis.
METHODS: Four databases, namely, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library, were used to identify studies on DPP-4 and COVID-19. The outcome indicators were the mortality of COVID-19. Funnel plots, Begg's tests and Egger's tests were used to assess publication bias.
RESULTS: Four articles were included with a total of 1933 patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes. The use of DPP-4 inhibitors was negatively associated with the risk of mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 0.58 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-0.99).
CONCLUSIONS: DPP-4 inhibitors may improve the mortality of patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes. As few relevant studies are available, more large-scale studies need to be performed.
| Discipline / Specialty Area | Score |
|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine | |
| Endocrine | |
| Infectious Disease | |
| Hospital Doctor/Hospitalists | |
| Internal Medicine | |
This is a meta-analysis of studies comparing gliptins (DPP-4) with controls in patients with covid-19 and diabetes with the outcome of mortality. The meta-analysis was well done. Although the 4 studies found are all observational, with no randomized controlled trials, they had low risk of bias, nor was there evidence of publication bias. The results show a reduction in mortality: odds ratio 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.34, 0.99). However, the size of the effect in terms of absolute risk reduction or number needed to treat cannot be calculated from the data given.
I’m losing interest in COVID-19 articles.
Very interesting PRELIMINARY findings that well-designed research will need to support or refute their results.