Individuals with established cardiovascular disease or a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors may be particularly vulnerable to develop complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care center to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, new acute decompensated heart failure, venous thromboembolism, ventricular or atrial arrhythmia, pericardial effusion, or aborted cardiac arrest) among consecutively hospitalized adults with COVID-19, using multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. The study population comprised 586 COVID-19 positive patients. Median age was 67 (IQR: 55-80) years, 47.4% were female, and 36.7% had cardiovascular disease. Considering risk factors, 60.2% had hypertension, 39.8% diabetes, and 38.6% hyperlipidemia. Eighty-two individuals (14.0%) died in-hospital, and 135 (23.0%) experienced MACE. In a model adjusted for demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, and laboratory findings, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.28 per 5 years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.45), prior ventricular arrhythmia (OR, 18.97; 95% CI, 3.68-97.88), use of P2Y 12 -inhibitors (OR, 7.91; 95% CI, 1.64-38.17), higher C-reactive protein (OR, 1.81: 95% CI, 1.18-2.78), lower albumin (OR, 0.64: 95% CI, 0.47-0.86), and higher troponin T (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.39-2.46) were associated with mortality (p<0.05). After adjustment for demographics, presentation, and laboratory findings, predictors of MACE were higher respiratory rates, altered mental status, and laboratory abnormalities, including higher troponin T (p<0.05). In conclusion, poor prognostic markers among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 included older age, pre-existing cardiovascular disease, respiratory failure, altered mental status, and higher troponin T concentrations.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause cardiac injury resulting in abnormal right or left ventricular function (RV/LV) with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking assessment of LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) and RV free wall strain (FWS) by transthoracic echocardiography can assist as markers for subclinical cardiac injury predicting increased mortality. Methods We performed 2D strain analysis via proprietary software in 48 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Clinical information, demographics, comorbidities, and lab values were collected via retrospective chart review. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality based on an optimized abnormal LV GLS value via ROC analysis and RV FWS. Results The optimal LV GLS cutoff to predict death was −13.8%, with a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI 55–98%) and specificity of 54% (95% CI 36–71%). Abnormal LV GLS > −13.8% was associated with a higher risk of death [unadjusted hazard ratio 5.15 (95% CI 1.13–23.45), p = 0.034], which persisted after adjustment for clinical variables. Among patients with LV ejection fraction (LVEF) >50%, those with LV GLS > −13.8% had higher mortality compared to those with LV GLS < −13.8% (41% vs. 10%, p = 0.030). RV FWS value was higher in patients with LV GLS > −13.8% (−13.7 ± 5.9 vs. −19.6 ± 6.7, p = 0.003), but not associated with decreased survival. Conclusion Abnormal LV strain with a cutoff of >−13.8% in patients with COVID-19 is associated with significantly higher risk of death. Despite normal LVEF, abnormal LV GLS predicted worse outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. There was no mortality difference based on RV strain.

No abstract