1. Increased cardiovascular death rates in a COVID-19 low prevalence area.
- Author
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Del Pinto R, Ferri C, Mammarella L, Abballe S, Dell'Anna S, Cicogna S, Grassi D, Sacco S, and Desideri G
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, COVID-19 diagnosis, COVID-19 epidemiology, COVID-19 virology, Cardiovascular Diseases complications, Cost of Illness, Death, Female, Humans, Italy epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2 genetics, COVID-19 complications, Cardiovascular Diseases mortality, Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures statistics & numerical data, Hospital Mortality trends, Hospitalization statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
The province of L'Aquila (Central Italy) was marginally affected by COVID-19 pandemic, but changes in health care seeking behaviors were noticed. The authors retrospectively analyzed de-identified data concerning all-cause and cardiovascular hospitalizations, cardiovascular acute phase treatments, and in-hospital cardiovascular deaths in the province of L'Aquila from January 1 to March 31, in 2020 and 2019. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) comparing 2020 and 2019 for admissions/procedures were calculated through Poisson regression. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the examined time windows was also assessed. Less all-cause (IRR 0.85, P < .001) and cardiovascular (IRR 0.73, P < .001) hospitalizations occurred in 2020 than in 2019. Less daily cardiovascular procedures were also performed (IRR: 0.74, P = .009). A disproportionate decrease in the number of procedures was observed in relation to cardiovascular hospitalizations in 2020 (-5.5%, P = .001). Unlike all-cause mortality, more in-hospital cardiovascular deaths occurred in March 2020 compared with March 2019 (+6.8%, P = .048)., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2020
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