Author(s): Pedrosa, Ana Realista ; Martins, Diana Cruz ; Rizzo, Manfredi ; Silva-Nunes, José
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/114176
Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
Subject(s): Metformin; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Diabetes; Mortality; Severity; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Inflammation; COVID-19; Metformin; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
SARS-CoV-2 infection has been a major threat to human health and a huge challenge to Medicine. In only two years, COVID-19 affected >350 million people, causing >5.6 million deaths. Chronic inflammatory states, such as diabetes or obesity, are known risk factors for COVID-19 poorest outcomes, with higher risk for disease severity and greater mortality. Metformin remains on the first line of the management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes. Through its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms, metformin appears as an opportunity to control the dysregulated cytokine storm secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recent studies point towards a potential protective role of metformin in the course of COVID-19, showing that current or previous treatment with metformin associates with better outcomes.
