MATERIALS and METHODS
This study retrospectively included 130 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated as an outpatient or in the thoracic diseases ward in a single center between January 2021 and June 2021 after the approval of the local ethics committee and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
All patients included in the study had clinical and radiological features and signs of COVID-19 pneumonia. The COVID-19 diagnosis of all patients was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studied from an oropharyngeal swab. All patients were treated with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and favipiravir. Patients with chronic kidney or liver failure, use of anti-arrhythmic drugs, pacemaker rhythm, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure (with preserved systolic function or systolic heart failure), abnormal serum electrolyte values ​​were not included in the study.
All patients were questioned in detail for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and the drugs used. Hematological, biochemical, and serological values ​​were obtained from the peripheral blood samples taken following 12 hours of fasting and recorded. A troponin value above the 99th percentile upper reference limit value or newly developed electrocardiographic and echocardiographic change was considered myocardial damage. Chronic renal failure was defined as a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 square meters, persisting for 3 months. The diagnosis of hypertension was defined as receiving antihypertensive therapy or having a systolic blood pressure above160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure above90 mmHg in at least 3 measurements. Diabetes was defined as the use of antidiabetic drugs and having at least 2 postprandial blood glucose measurements above 126 mg/dL or an HbA1c level >6.5. The diagnosis of hyperlipidemia was considered as having a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level >160mg/dL or the use of statins.