MATERIALS and METHODS
This study retrospectively included 130 patients who were diagnosed with
COVID-19 and treated as an outpatient or in the thoracic diseases ward
in a single center between January 2021 and June 2021 after the approval
of the local ethics committee and the Ministry of Health of the Republic
of Turkey. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of
the Declaration of Helsinki.
All patients included in the study had clinical and radiological
features and signs of COVID-19 pneumonia. The COVID-19 diagnosis of all
patients was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studied from
an oropharyngeal swab. All patients were treated with
hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and favipiravir. Patients with chronic
kidney or liver failure, use of anti-arrhythmic drugs, pacemaker rhythm,
atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure (with
preserved systolic function or systolic heart failure), abnormal serum
electrolyte values were not included in the study.
All patients were questioned in detail for hypertension, hyperlipidemia,
diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease), and the drugs used. Hematological, biochemical, and
serological values were obtained from the peripheral blood samples
taken following 12 hours of fasting and recorded. A troponin value above
the 99th percentile upper reference limit value or newly developed
electrocardiographic and echocardiographic change was considered
myocardial damage. Chronic renal failure was defined as a glomerular
filtration rate less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 square meters, persisting
for 3 months. The diagnosis of hypertension was defined as receiving
antihypertensive therapy or having a systolic blood pressure above160
mmHg and diastolic blood pressure above90 mmHg in at least 3
measurements. Diabetes was defined as the use of antidiabetic drugs and
having at least 2 postprandial blood glucose measurements above 126
mg/dL or an HbA1c level >6.5. The diagnosis of
hyperlipidemia was considered as having a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
level >160mg/dL or the use of statins.