History of CABG associated with a higher risk of death from COVID-19

Patients with a history of coronary bypass grafting (CABG) face an elevated risk of COVID-19-related mortality, according to new data published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

“Over the latest months, several analyses have demonstrated that cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities are common in patients with COVID-19 infection, increasing their morbidity and mortality risk," wrote lead author Marco Zuin, MD, with the department of translational medicine at the University of Ferrara in Italy, and colleagues.  “However, data regarding the prevalence and prognostic impact of previous CABG in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections are still scant."

To gain a better understanding of this topic, Zuin et al. analyzed four different studies that covered a total of 3,070 COVID-19 patients. While 2,036 of those patients were men, the mean patient age was 67.9 years old.

Overall, the mortality rate among COVID-19 patients was 21.6%, and prior CABG was observed in 3.1% of patients.

According to the team's analysis, patients who had previously undergone CABG had a significantly higher mortality risk than patients who had not. 

“Despite its relative low prevalence, this cardiac condition significantly increases the short-term mortality risk,” the authors wrote. “Our findings confirm the results of several recent investigations which demonstrated that the clinical outcomes in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are closely related to the burden of associated comorbidities."

The authors noted that it is important to identify the risk factors tied to poor outcomes in this patient population, especially in those with pre-existing CV diseases who would benefit from prioritization and monitoring.

The full study is available here.

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