Hypertension increases risk of dying from COVID-19 by two folds in Lagos —Study

EXPERTS’ review of outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted in care in Lagos State suggests that patients with hypertension and HIV coexisting in them are 2.21 and 12.21 times respectively more likely to die from COVID-19.

In a new study, the researchers said COVID-19 patients with two or more of such diseases as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer and HIV are about four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those with one of these diseases.

The study, which identifies co-morbidities that predict death among a large sample of COVID-19 patients in South-West Nigeria, said patients with diabetes are 3.69 times more likely to die; those with kidney disease are 12.53 times more likely to die and those with cancer are 14.12 times more likely to die, while those with HIV are 12.21 times are more likely to die from COVID-19.

The study, in the PLoS ONE, was a retrospective analysis of medical records for 2,184 confirmed cases of COVID-19 treated in 10 isolation and treatment facilities for COVID-19 across Lagos between February 27, 2020 and July 6, 2020. It considered age, sex, severity of the condition at presentation and self-reported morbidities. The outcomes of interest were death or discharge from the facility.

According to the study, 492 patients (22.5%) had at least one of these diseases simultaneously and the most common amongst them are hypertension (74.2%) and diabetes (30.3%), the mortality rate was 3.3% and a significantly higher proportion of patients with comorbidities died compared to those with none.

In addition, male patients were 1.84 times more likely to die than the female, and patients between 50 to 59 years were three times more likely and those aged 60 years and above are 6.87 times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to patients less than 40 years.

They declared that compared to patients without comorbidities, significantly higher proportions of patients with comorbidities were aged 50 years and above, presented in severe to critical condition and died while on admission.

In addition, higher proportions of patients with two or more comorbidities were aged 60 years and above (56.4%), male (73%) and presented in severe (16.7 per cent) and critical (13.5%) conditions.

The researchers, however, recommended that public enlightenment should be emphatic about high-risk comorbidities and that identification through screening be done to identify undiagnosed cases

They declared that persons with morbidities should be encouraged to use all recommended protective measures and seek prompt care for COVID-19.

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