Short- and long-term survival of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in relation to cardiovascular risk factors and established cardiovascular disease: the Cor-Cardio study

INTRODUCTION The clinical presentation of COVID-19 may range from asymptomatic infection to severe disease. Previous studies reported a relationship between the course of COVID-19 and a history of cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD). OBJECTIVES We aimed to analyze the influence of CV risk factors, established CVD, and treatment with CV drugs on short-and long-term survival in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed data of patients hospitalized in 13 COVID-19 hospitals in Poland (between March and October 2020). Individual deaths during the follow-up were recorded until March 2021. RESULTS Overall, 2346 patients with COVID-19 were included (mean age, 61 years; 50.2% women). A total of 341 patients (14.5%) died during the hospitalization, and 95 (4.7%) died during the follow-up. Independent predictors of in-hospital death were older age, a history of established CVD, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), while treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers or statins was associated with a lower risk of death during hospitalization. Factors that independently predicted death during the followupwere older age, a history of established CVD, CKD, and a history of cancer. The presence of CV risk factors did not increase the odds of death either in the hospital or during the follow-up. Of note, higher systolic blood pressure and oxygen blood saturation on admission were associated with better short-and long-term prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Established CVD and CKD were the main predictors of mortality during both the hospitalization and the follow-up in the patients hospitalized for COVID-19, while the use of CV drugs during the hospitalization was associated with better prognosis. The presence of CV risk factors did not increase the odds of in-hospital and postdischarge death.