Mortality of COVID-19 is associated with comorbidity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with the outcome in matched COVID-19 patients without COPD.

Methods

Sixty-three COPD patients hospitalised for acute COVID-19 from March through August 2020 were retrospectively identified and 63 hospitalised COVID-19 patients without COPD were selected and matched for age, gender and month of hospital admission.

Results

COPD patients had a higher rate of comorbidities, especially cardiovascular disease, and a trend towards a higher 30-day mortality than control patients (35% vs. 22%). In the COPD group, high Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.03) and previous cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.04) were associated with 30-day mortality in univariate analysis. Inhaled corticosteroids maintenance therapy was not associated with lower mortality.

Conclusion

COPD patients hospitalised for acute COVID-19 disease had significantly more comorbidities and a high risk of severe outcome and death within 30 days. Comorbidity, especially cardiovascular diseases, was associated with mortality among COPD patients.

Keywords:

• Coronavirus infection
• COVID-19
• inhaled corticosteroids
• COPD
• mortality
• disease severity

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Johanna Petersson Viir for assistance with data extraction.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Västra Götalandsregionen ALF research funds [ALFGBG-719911].