The Role of Comorbid Conditions in Exacerbating Mortality Risk Among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to globalhealthcare systems, particularly for individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Amongthese, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most critical factors associated with severeCOVID-19 outcomes. The pathophysiological mechanisms linking diabetes and COVID-19involve chronic hyperglycemia, which impairs immune response, increases systemicinflammation, and leads to endothelial dysfunction. Diabetic patients are more susceptibleto infections due to poor glycemic control, and this vulnerability is exacerbated by commoncomorbidities such as hypertension, obesity, chronic lung diseases, and chronic kidneydisease.