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

Vetrano, D. L.; Tazzeo, C.; Palmieri, L.; Marengoni, A.; Zucchelli, A.; Lo Noce, C.; Onder, G.; Andrianou, X.; Barbariol, P.; Bella, A.; Bellino, S.; Benelli, E.; Bertinato, L.; Boros, S.; Brambilla, G.; Calcagnini, G.; Canevelli, M.; Castrucci, M. R.; Censi, F.; Ciervo, A.; Colaizzo, E.; D'Ancona, F.; Del Manso, M.; Di Benedetto, C.; Donfrancesco, C.; Fabiani, M.; Facchiano, F.; Filia, A.; Floridia, M.; Galati, F.; Giuliano, M.; Grisetti, T.; Kodra, Y.; Langer, M.; Lega, I.; Lo Noce, C.; Maiozzi, P.; Malchiodi Albedi, F.; Manno, V.; Martini, M.; Urdiales, A. M.; Mattei, E.; Meduri, C.; Meli, P.; Minelli, G.; Nebuloni, M.; Nistico, L.; Nonis, M.; Palmisano, L.; Petrosillo, N.; Pezzotti, P.; Pricci, F.; Punzo, O.; Puro, V.; Raparelli, V.; Rezza, G.; Riccardo, F.; Rota, M. C.; Salerno, P.; Serra, D.; Siddu, A.; Stefanelli, P.; Tamburo De Bella, M.; Tiple, D.; Unim, B.; Vaianella, L.; Vanacore, N.; Vichi, M.; Villani, E. R.; Zona, A.; Brusaferro, S.

doi:10.1007/s40520-021-01914-y

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.

Comorbidity status of deceased COVID-19 in-patients in Italy / Vetrano, D.L., Tazzeo, C., Palmieri, L., Marengoni, A., Zucchelli, A., Lo Noce, C., Onder, G., Andrianou, X., Barbariol, P., Bella, A., Bellino, S., Benelli, E., Bertinato, L., Boros, S., Brambilla, G., Calcagnini, G., Canevelli, M., Castrucci, M.R., Censi, F., Ciervo, A., et al.. - In: AGING CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH. - ISSN 1594-0667. - 33:8(2021), pp. 2361-2365. [10.1007/s40520-021-01914-y]