Evidence mapPaperPMID 39418352Full record

ArticleThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2025

Effectiveness of Dexamethasone for COVID-19 in Hospitalized Patients With Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Salman Zahoor Bhat, Jiajun Wu, Jamie Perin, Kunbo Wang, Matthew L Robinson, Brian T Garibaldi, Nestoras Mathioudakis

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Salman Zahoor BhatDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0304-4044
Jiajun WuDepartment of Pediatrics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Data Management (BEAD) Core, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Jamie PerinDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5482-6620
Kunbo WangDepartment of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Matthew L RobinsonDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Brian T GaribaldiDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Nestoras MathioudakisDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0210-655X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with diabetes have higher mortality from COVID-19 compared to the general population. Dexamethasone, a potent glucocorticoid used for moderate to severe COVID-19, can worsen hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes, potentially leading to worse outcomes. The efficacy and safety of use of dexamethasone for COVID-19 in patients with diabetes needs further evaluation.

objectiveThe study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of dexamethasone in patients with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19 infection.

designThis retrospective study analyzed data from 5 hospitals in the Johns Hopkins Health System collected between March 3, 2020, and June 25, 2022. Propensity score matching was applied to a cohort of patients with diabetes who received dexamethasone and those who did not (controls), and outcomes were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression models. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was time to death within 28 days. The secondary outcome was time to clinical improvement. Additional outcomes included the incidence of hyperglycemic emergencies and subgroup analysis of primary outcomes by clinical severity.

resultsOut of 10,329 patients admitted for COVID-19, 3679 had diabetes, and 2361 met the inclusion criteria. After propensity score matching, 529 patients were analyzed in each group. Survival rates between the dexamethasone and control groups during the 0- to 6-day and 7- to 28-day periods and time to clinical improvement at 28 days did not differ significantly. There was no difference in the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state between the groups.

conclusionDexamethasone treatment did not significantly improve survival or time to clinical improvement in patients with diabetes and COVID-19 infection. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine potential mechanisms.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentDexamethasoneDiabetes MellitusGlucocorticoidsAdultAgedFemaleHospitalizationHumansHyperglycemiaMaleMiddle AgedPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2DexamethasoneGlucocorticoidsCOVIDdiabetesdiabetic ketoacidosisglucocorticoidshyperglycemiaSARS-CoV-2steroids

Identifiers

PMID39418352
PMCPMC12187182

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.