1. Introduction
In December 2019, COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
turned into a pandemic affecting the entire world. By the end of
December 2020, the number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 exceeded 72
million and the number of COVID-19-related deaths exceeded 1.7 million
worldwide. Most individuals (81%) infected with SARS-CoV-2 are either
asymptomatic or recovered with mild symptoms1.
However, advanced age and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes,
ischemic heart disease may lead to pneumonia, and acute respiratory
distress symptom (ARDS), and the disease may progress more severely and
mortally2,3. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by
obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. This new
non-infectious disease has become the greatest health hazard in the
modern world, along with infectious diseases. Today, more than 1 billion
people worldwide are affected by metabolic syndrome4.
Metabolic syndrome is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease and diabetes mellitus, but it is still a matter of debate
whether metabolic syndrome as a whole or its individual components
increase this risk5. Hypertension and diabetes have
been shown to increase mortality in COVID 19 patients, and obesity alone
has been identified as an independent risk factor for the development of
respiratory failure and increased mortality 2,3,6.
However research has shown negative effects of obesity, hypertension and
diabetes on mortality and morbidity in COVID 19 patients, studies
conducted under the title of metabolic syndrome are limited.
In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of metabolic syndrome on
disease course, laboratory values and mortality in inpatients with COVID
19 pneumonia.