COVID-19 Plus Heart Attack Tied to Higher Mortality and Complications

TUESDAY, June 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Patients with COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) experienced higher rates of mortality and complications than patients without COVID-19, with racial disparities identified, according to a study scheduled to be published in the September issue of Current Problems in Cardiology.

Amer Muhyieddeen, M.D., from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and colleagues assessed COVID-19’s impact on racial disparities in AMI management and outcomes. Analysis included data from the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, captured in the 2020 National Inpatient Sample data.

The researchers found that patients with concurrent AMI and COVID-19 had higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.19), increased mechanical ventilation (aOR, 1.90), and higher initiation of hemodialysis (aOR, 1.38) versus patients without COVID-19. Compared to White patients, Black and Asian/Pacific Islander patients had higher in-hospital mortality (aOR, 2.13 and 3.41, respectively). Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients had higher odds of starting hemodialysis (aOR, 5.48, 2.99, and 7.84, respectively). Furthermore, they were less likely to receive percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI (aOR, 0.71, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively). Coronary artery bypass grafting was less likely among Black patients (aOR, 0.55).

“There are four main ways to address these disparities, which include improving access; providing culturally sensitive care; addressing social determinants of health; and policy changes,” senior author Martha Gulati, M.D., also from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said in a statement.

One author disclosed ties to Novartis and Esperion.