Key result
Pre-existing CVD is linked to ~6-fold higher mortality in patients with COVID-19.
Why the study?
International data link COVID-19 to higher morbidity and mortality in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and risk factors, but Irish hospital data were needed.
Does pre-existing cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors increase disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19?
Cohort (n=649)
No
Does pre-existing cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors increase disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19?
Absolute Event Rate: 18.6% vs 3.1%
Pre-existing cardiovascular disease and risk factors are associated with significantly higher mortality and disease severity in patients with COVID-19.
May warrant closer monitoring for COVID-19 patients with CVD; observational data leaves causal role open.
Background/Aims COVID-19 has led to substantial changes in the provision of emergency healthcare services. International data suggest that COVID-19 is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors. This study aimed to explore the association between pre-existing cardiovascular disease and/or cardiovascular risk factors and COVID-19 disease severity and outcomes in an Irish hospital. Methods This retrospective study obtained data from a bioresource database of patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection (n=649) in a large hospital in Dublin. Data were collected on patients' demographic characteristics, cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular disease risk factors and medications taken for cardiovascular conditions. The World Health Organization progression scale was used to assess the severity of COVID-19 infection in each patient. Cross-tabulation analysis was used to analyse associations between variables, with a P value of ≤0.05 indicating significance. Results Mortality rates were six times greater in patients with cardiovascular disease compared to those without cardiovascular disease (18.6% vs 3.1%). A higher percentage of patients with one or more cardiovascular risk factors had moderate (53.4%) or severe (19.1%) COVID-19 and higher mortality rates (10.7%) than those without cardiovascular risk factors. Of the patients who died from COVID-19 (n=40), 60.0% (n=24) had one or more cardiovascular diseases, while 80.0% (n=32) had one or more cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Existing cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors increase the risk of more severe disease and worse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Many cardiovascular risk factors are modifiable, so it is important to consider preventative education strategies designed to reduce modifiable risk factors to improve outcomes for patients with COVID-19.
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McGuone et al. (2024) conducted a cohort in COVID-19 (n=649). Pre-existing cardiovascular disease vs. No pre-existing cardiovascular disease was evaluated on Mortality. Pre-existing cardiovascular disease was associated with a six-fold higher mortality rate in patients with COVID-19 compared to those without cardiovascular disease (18.6% vs 3.1%).
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