Skip to main content
Top
Published in: BMC Geriatrics 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | SARS-CoV-2 | Research

Age differences in the association of comorbid burden with adverse outcomes in SARS-CoV-2

Published in: BMC Geriatrics | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Older age and comorbid burden are both associated with adverse outcomes in SARS-CoV-2, but it is not known whether the association between comorbid burden and adverse outcomes differs in older and younger adults.

Objective

To compare the relationship between comorbid burden and adverse outcomes in adults with SARS-CoV-2 of different ages (18–64, 65–79 and ≥ 80 years).

Design, setting, and participants

Observational longitudinal cohort study of 170,528 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System between 2/28/20 and 12/31/2020 who were followed through 01/31/2021.

Measurements

Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI); Incidence of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and death within 30 days of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.

Results

The cumulative 30-day incidence of death was 0.8% in cohort members < 65 years, 7.1% in those aged 65–79 years and 20.6% in those aged ≥80 years. The respective 30-day incidences of hospitalization were 8.2, 21.7 and 29.5%, of ICU admission were 2.7, 8.6, and 11% and of mechanical ventilation were 1, 3.9 and 3.2%. Median CCI (interquartile range) ranged from 0.0 (0.0, 2.0) in the youngest, to 4 (2.0, 7.0) in the oldest age group. The adjusted association of CCI with all outcomes was attenuated at older ages such that the threshold level of CCI above which the risk for each outcome exceeded the reference group (1st quartile) was lower in younger than in older cohort members (p < 0.001 for all age group interactions).

Limitations

The CCI is calculated based on diagnostic codes, which may not provide an accurate assessment of comorbid burden.

Conclusions

Age differences in the distribution and prognostic significance of overall comorbid burden could inform clinical management, vaccination prioritization and population health during the pandemic and argue for more work to understand the role of age and comorbidity in shaping the care of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
4.
go back to reference Petrilli CM, Jones SA, Yang J, Rajagopalan H, O'Donnell L, Chernyak Y, et al. Factors associated with hospital admission and critical illness among 5279 people with coronavirus disease 2019 in new York City: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2020;369:m1966.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Petrilli CM, Jones SA, Yang J, Rajagopalan H, O'Donnell L, Chernyak Y, et al. Factors associated with hospital admission and critical illness among 5279 people with coronavirus disease 2019 in new York City: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2020;369:m1966.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
12.
go back to reference Kim L, Garg S, O'Halloran A, Whitaker M, Pham H, Anderson EJ, et al. Risk Factors for Intensive Care Unit Admission and In-hospital Mortality among Hospitalized Adults Identified through the U.S. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET). Clin Infect Dis. 2021;72(9):e206–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1012. Kim L, Garg S, O'Halloran A, Whitaker M, Pham H, Anderson EJ, et al. Risk Factors for Intensive Care Unit Admission and In-hospital Mortality among Hospitalized Adults Identified through the U.S. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET). Clin Infect Dis. 2021;72(9):e206–14. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1093/​cid/​ciaa1012.
14.
go back to reference Docherty AB, Harrison EM, Green CA, Hardwick HE, Pius R, Norman L, et al. Features of 20 133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the ISARIC WHO clinical characterisation protocol: prospective observational cohort study. BMJ. 2020;369:m1985.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Docherty AB, Harrison EM, Green CA, Hardwick HE, Pius R, Norman L, et al. Features of 20 133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the ISARIC WHO clinical characterisation protocol: prospective observational cohort study. BMJ. 2020;369:m1985.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
28.
go back to reference Wynants L, Van Calster B, Collins GS, Riley RD, Heinze G, Schuit E, et al. Prediction models for diagnosis and prognosis of covid-19 infection: systematic review and critical appraisal. BMJ. 2020;369:m1328.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Wynants L, Van Calster B, Collins GS, Riley RD, Heinze G, Schuit E, et al. Prediction models for diagnosis and prognosis of covid-19 infection: systematic review and critical appraisal. BMJ. 2020;369:m1328.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
30.
go back to reference Chen T, Wu D, Chen H, Yan W, Yang D, Chen G, et al. Clinical characteristics of 113 deceased patients with coronavirus disease 2019: retrospective study. BMJ. 2020;368:m1091.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Chen T, Wu D, Chen H, Yan W, Yang D, Chen G, et al. Clinical characteristics of 113 deceased patients with coronavirus disease 2019: retrospective study. BMJ. 2020;368:m1091.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
31.
go back to reference Team CC-R. Severe outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - United States, February 12-march 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(12):343–6.CrossRef Team CC-R. Severe outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - United States, February 12-march 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(12):343–6.CrossRef
43.
47.
48.
go back to reference Rodilla E, Saura A, Jimenez I, Mendizabal A, Pineda-Cantero A, Lorenzo-Hernandez E, et al. Association of Hypertension with All-Cause Mortality among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19. J Clin Med. 2020;9(10):3136. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9103136. Rodilla E, Saura A, Jimenez I, Mendizabal A, Pineda-Cantero A, Lorenzo-Hernandez E, et al. Association of Hypertension with All-Cause Mortality among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19. J Clin Med. 2020;9(10):3136. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​jcm9103136.
66.
go back to reference Ioannou GN, Green P, Fan VS, Dominitz JA, O'Hare AM, Backus LI, et al. Development of COVIDVax model to estimate the risk of SARS-CoV-2-related death among 7.6 Million US Veterans for use in vaccination prioritization. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e214347.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Ioannou GN, Green P, Fan VS, Dominitz JA, O'Hare AM, Backus LI, et al. Development of COVIDVax model to estimate the risk of SARS-CoV-2-related death among 7.6 Million US Veterans for use in vaccination prioritization. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e214347.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
72.
go back to reference Nickel CH, Rueegg M, Pargger H, Bingisser R. Age, comorbidity, frailty status: effects on disposition and resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20269.PubMed Nickel CH, Rueegg M, Pargger H, Bingisser R. Age, comorbidity, frailty status: effects on disposition and resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20269.PubMed
Metadata
Title
Age differences in the association of comorbid burden with adverse outcomes in SARS-CoV-2
Publication date
01-12-2021
Keyword
SARS-CoV-2
Published in
BMC Geriatrics / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2318
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02340-5

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

BMC Geriatrics 1/2021 Go to the issue