The study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, followed 5,133 critically ill COVID-19 patients across 68 hospitals admitted to ICUs between March 1 and July 1, 2020.
Of the participants, 1,174 had preexisting cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. When researchers separated risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, the link between heart disease itself and death from COVID-19 appeared to be statistically insignificant.
Risk factors appeared to play a greater role in risk of death. Researchers found the most important risk factors were, in order: age, body mass index, race and ethnicity, and history of smoking.
