Comorbidities and increased mortality of COVID-19 among the elderly: A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of current review is to conduct a systematic overview of articles published between 2019 and 2021 on the relationship of comorbidities and mortality due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the elderly population. Methods We conducted a systematic search on PubMed for articles published between 2019 and 2021 to identify any cohort and case-control studies that investigated the relationship of comorbidities and COVID-19 mortality among the elderly, defined as 60 years of age and above. Databases were searched independently by two authors. Disagreements were resolved by the inclusion of a third investigator. Reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded from our systematic review. Results A total of 15 studies were selected for our systematic review. Of the included studies, 3 were case-control, 3 were prospective cohort studies and 9 were retrospective cohort studies. As for size, 10 studies were conducted on populations of <1000 participants, 3 ranging from 1001 to 10,000, and 2 on populations of >10,000 individuals. The included studies found that the presence of certain conditions, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal diseases, malignancies, diseases of the nervous system and diabetes are associated to increased mortality in populations that consisted of elderly patients. Conclusion Results of our systematic review suggest that comorbidities contribute to increased COVID-19 mortality among the elderly. The detrimental effect of comorbidities and advanced age on the immune response could lead to a more frequent occurrence of symptomatic and severe infections with COVID-19.

Modifiable contributing factors to COVID-19: A comprehensive review

“…For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 4.0 additional conditions or causes per death.”)( https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3-wrg3tTKK5-9tOHPGAHWFVO3DfslkJ0KsDEPQpWmPbKtp6EsoVV2Qs1Q ). While many comorbidities have been observed, the most frequent tend to be diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and respiratory and renal illnesses ( Almeida et al, 2022 ; Peterfi et al, 2022 . ), with diabetes and hypertension ranking near or at the top in most comorbidity studies ( Shah et al, 2021 ; Shadnoush et al, 2022 ).…”

Clinical Features of COVID-19 and Differentiation from Other Causes of CAP

“…62 Systematic review of 15 studies with more than 50,000 patients proposed mechanisms that comorbidities and increased age could affect the cellular entry mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2, predisposing patients to more severe disease in the background of impaired health and increased vulnerability. 63 Review of 60 studies focusing on CAP in older adults in Europe similarly found higher incidence in immunocompromised patients and those with comorbidities (chronic respiratory diseases OR: 2.17-3.92; cardiovascular disease OR: 1.4-3.2; dementia OR 2.12-4.94; and chronic renal disease OR: 1.7-2.15). 36 Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 CAP with other types of CAP did not find significant differences between preexisting comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung, chronic liver, or chronic kidney disease.…”

The Buffering Role of Self-compassion in the Association Between Loneliness with Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study Among Older Adults Living in Residential Care Homes During COVID-19

“…These findings have important clinical implications for treating and managing older adults with both physical and mental health problems. Older age is an independent risk factor for the adverse impact of the pandemic (Savage et al, 2021), and older adults with medical comorbidities are more vulnerable to the negative consequences of the pandemic, with a higher mortality risk due to COVID-19 (Péterfi et al, 2022). Approximately 80% of older adults (aged 65 years) have at least two chronic diseases, and these physical comorbidities can be risk factors for loneliness (National Academies of Sciences, 2020).…”