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The following is a summary of “Impact of COVID-19 on nephropathy in diabetes mellitus type–II patients: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis,” published in the November 2024 issue of Nephrology by Azim et al. 

Nephropathy and kidney injury are prevalent COVID-19 complications, increasing mortality and morbidity in patients with type II diabetes. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on nephropathy and kidney injury in patients with type II diabetes. 

Researchers systematically searched WoS, PubMed, and Cochrane for studies (March 2020–July 2023) on post-COVID-19 kidney injury in type II diabetes. Exclusions included in-press articles, meta-analyses, case reports, case series, Type I diabetes studies, and non-English papers. Primary outcome: kidney injury in type II diabetes post-COVID-19 (PROSPERO: CRD42023413887). 

The results showed that 6,339 articles were initially identified, with only 6 observational studies selected following the 2020 PRISMA statement. Using a National Institutes of Health tool (observational studies), researchers assessed quality, with 14,723 total participants included. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide strong evidence that kidney injury is a common complication of COVID-19 in patients with type II diabetes, with a pooled odds ratio of 2.27 (95% CI: 2.05–2.51; P < 0.00001), frequently requiring hospitalization and hemodialysis in severe cases. 

The study concluded that COVID-19 was associated with a 2-fold increase in nephropathy and acute kidney injury in patients with type II diabetes, indicating a higher risk of kidney injury post-infection compared to non-diabetic patients. 

Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-024-03821-6