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Diabetes and obesity are highly prevalent among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but little is known about their contributions to early COVID-19 outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that diabetes is a risk factor for poor early outcomes, after adjustment for obesity, among a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used data from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) COVID-19 Data Registry of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between 11 March 2020 and 30 April 2020. Primary outcomes were admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), need for mechanical ventilation, and death within 14 days of presentation to care. Logistic regression models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, obesity, and relevant comorbidities. RESULTS Among 450 patients, 178 (39.6%) had diabetesdmostly type 2 diabetes. Among patients with diabetes versus patients without diabetes, a higher proportion was admitted to the ICU (42.1% vs. 29.8%, respectively, P 5 0.007), required mechanical ventilation (37.1% vs. 23.2%, P 5 0.001), and died (15.9% vs. 7.9%, P 5 0.009). In multivariable logistic regression models, diabetes was associated with greater odds of ICU admission (odds ratio 1.59 [95% CI 1.01-2.52]), mechanical ventilation (1.97 [1.21-3.20]), and death (2.02 [1.01-4.03]) at 14 days. Obesity was associated with greater odds of ICU admission (2.16 [1.20-3.88]) and mechanical ventilation (2.13 [1.14-4.00]) but not with death. CONCLUSIONS Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, diabetes was associated with poor early outcomes, after adjustment for obesity. These findings can help inform patient-centered care decision making for people with diabetes at risk for COVID-19. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the U.S., currently estimated to affect 34.2 million people (10.5% of the U.S. population) (1). In addition to the well-documented adverse health outcomes associated with this disease, diabetes has also emerged as a commonly reported risk factor among people hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus (2-7). Following initial reports of COVID-19 in Washington state (January 2020) (8), COVID-19 has spread rapidly and resulted in .3.0 million cases and nearly 135,000 deaths in the U.S.

The role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression has been a topic of growing interest. This subject carries important implications, given that postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and her infant, with lifelong consequences for infant socioemotional and cognitive development. In recent years, oxytocin has received attention for its potential role in many neuropsychiatric conditions beyond its well-described functions in childbirth and lactation. In the present review, we present available data on the clinical characteristics and neuroendocrine foundations of postpartum depression. We outline current treatment modalities and their limitations, and proceed to evaluate the potential role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression. The aim of the present review is twofold: a) to bring together evidence from animal and human research concerning the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression, and b) to highlight areas that deserve further research in order to bring a fuller understanding of oxytocin’s therapeutic potential.

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