This study aimed to examine the relationship between Hb A 1c levels and the clinical course of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) patients. Sixty-six COVID-19(+) patients with high Hb A 1c and 46 with average Hb A 1c and 30 COVID-19(–) patients with average Hb A 1c were included. Hb A 1c levels and parameters examined in COVID-19(+) patients were compared between groups, and correlation analysis was performed between these parameters and Hb A 1c levels. The effect of Hb A 1c levels on intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality rate in COVID-19 patients was analyzed with the χ 2 test. It was observed that hemoglobin (Hb) and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO 2 ) levels of the COVID-19 (+) groups was lower than the COVID-19 (–) group, while ferritin, D-dimer, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were higher. The COVID-19 (+) group with high Hb A 1c had higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), PCT and D-dimer levels than the other two groups, while Hb, partial arterial oxygen pressure (PaO 2 ) levels were lower. The Hb A 1c levels of the COVID-19 (+) groups were positively correlated with absolute neutrophil count (ANC), LDH, PCT and (K + ) levels, while negatively correlated with Hb and PaO 2 levels. Hb A 1c was found to be associated with the inflammation process, coagulation disorders and low PaO 2 in COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 patients with high Hb A 1c levels had a higher mortality rate than other COVID-19 patients. Using Hb A 1c measurements with other prognostic markers would contribute to the patient’s risk of death assessment.

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Background/Aim: Diabetic retinopathy is a common ailment that causes visual impairment among adults, and evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a significant role in its pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to examine the potential association between selenium deficiency and an increased risk of diabetic retinopathy among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This study was a prospective case-control study. 115 patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. The patients were divided into groups with and without retinopathy. No subgroups were made according to the level of retinopathy. The aim was to compare the serum selenium level of patients between groups. Therefore, other variables that may contribute to the development of retinopathy were also recorded. The duration of diabetes, medications used, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were recorded. The retinopathy group included 47 patients, and the non-retinopathy group included 68 patients. Selenium levels were measured in plasma samples. Results: The mean selenium level of the retinopathy group (70.11 [17.28] μg/l) was significantly lower than that of the non-retinopathy group (80.20 [19.10] μg/l) (P=0.005). The median duration of diabetes mellitus was significantly higher in the retinopathy group than in the non-retinopathy group (10 [1-25] and 6 [1-21], respectively; P=0.002). Logistic regression analyses showed that higher levels of blood selenium were independent preventive factors against the occurrence of retinopathy (OR [95% CI]: 0.965 [0.939-0. 991]). The duration of diabetes mellitus was an independent risk factor for retinopathy occurrence [OR (95% CI): 1.131 (1.050-1.219)]. One unit increase in selenium level was associated with a unit decrease in diabetic retinopathy of 0.965 (0.939-0.991). Conclusion: Our research revealed a correlation between the duration of diabetes and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy. Furthermore, a notable difference was observed in blood selenium levels between patients with diabetic retinopathy and those without it. Specifically, patients with diabetic retinopathy had lower plasma selenium levels compared to the control group. These findings have potential implications for the treatment or prevention of diabetic retinopathy, but more research is needed to determine the efficacy of selenium supplementation for diabetic patients with or without microvascular complications. Future studies should investigate the effect of selenium deficiency on different subtypes of diabetic retinopathy and the impact of selenium supplementation in this patient population.