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. 2021 Aug;33(8):2361-2365.
doi: 10.1007/s40520-021-01914-y. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Comorbidity status of deceased COVID-19 in-patients in Italy

Davide Liborio Vetrano  1   2 , Clare Tazzeo  3 , Luigi Palmieri  4 , Alessandra Marengoni  3   5 , Alberto Zucchelli  3   6 , Cinzia Lo Noce  4 , Graziano Onder  4 ; Italian National Institute of Health Covid-Mortality Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Comorbidity status of deceased COVID-19 in-patients in Italy

Davide Liborio Vetrano et al. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Most COVID-19-related deaths have occurred in older persons with comorbidities. Specific patterns of comorbidities related to COVID-19 deaths have not been investigated.

Methods: A random sample of 6085 individuals in Italy who died in-hospital with confirmed COVID-19 between February and December 2020 were included. Observed to expected (O/E) ratios of disease pairs were computed and logistic regression models were used to determine the association between disease pairs with O/E values ≥ 1.5.

Results: Six pairs of diseases exhibited O/E values ≥ 1.5 and statistically significant higher odds of co-occurrence in the crude and adjusted analyses: (1) ischemic heart disease and atrial fibrillation, (2) atrial fibrillation and heart failure, (3) atrial fibrillation and stroke, (4) heart failure and COPD, (5) stroke and dementia, and (6) type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Conclusion: In those deceased in-hospital due to COVID-19 in Italy, disease combinations defined by multiple cardio-respiratory, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric diseases occur more frequently than expected. This finding indicates a need to investigate the possible role of these clinical profiles in the chain of events that lead to death in individuals who have contracted SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: COVID-19; Chronic disease; Comorbidity; Mortality; Multimorbidity.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalence per 100 of most frequent chronic diseases co-occurring with other diseases (blue) or without (red). COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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