Risk factors associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients: a retrospective case control study

Background: COVID-19, a novel disease, appeared in December 2019 in China and rapidly spread across the world. This study aimed to investigate and find out the factors responsible for death of COVID patients by comparing with recovered patients. Methodology: A retrospective, case control study was conducted from August 2020 to October 2020 in three hospitals of Poonch division, AJK. Total 192 patients who have been admitted in a hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 and positive PCR test, including 152 recovered from the infection and 40 died, were enrolled in the study. Data of age, gender, occupation, body weight, temperature, diabetic status, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, lungs disorder, kidney disorder, tuberculosis, cancer and smoking was collected for all patients and entered in a datasheet. Different factors were than compared statistically between recovered and dead patients. Results: Died patients had significantly higher age (P=0.000) and body temperature (P=0.000) as compared to recovered patients. Heart disorder, lungs disorder, older age, diabetes and hypertension were found to be significant risk factors of the death in COVID-90 patients. Mortality rate was found to be significantly higher in patients with heart disorder (P=0.000; OR=5.07), lungs disorder (P=0.000; OR=4.0), older age (P=0.000; OR=3.44), diabetes (P=0.001; OR=2.49) and hypertension (P=0.024; OR=1.84) as compared to the COVID-19 patients without these factors. Mortality rate was also higher for the patients with smoking and some kidney disorder but not significant (P=0.170 and 0.191 respectively). Among the died patients, 39 (97.5%) had 1 (2.5%) or more than one of the risk factors were present while 1 patient had no obvious risk factor.Conclusion: The study concludes that heart disorder, lungs disorder, older age, diabetes and hypertension are significant risk factors of the death in COVID-90 patients. More the risk factors accumulate in a person, higher will be the risk of death.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in elderly: causes, diagnostic and treatment approaches

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common inherited heart disorder with high clinical heterogeneity. Every fifth patient is older than 60 years at first diagnosis. This review discusses the possible causes for the late onset of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the diagnostic and treatment approaches in the elderly.