Impact of social vulnerability on comorbid COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction mortality in the United States

Ramzi Ibrahim; Hoang Nhat Pham; Enkhtsogt Sainbayar; João Paulo Ferreira

doi:10.1016/j.ahjo.2023.100357

Impact of social vulnerability on comorbid COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction mortality in the United States

Am Heart J Plus. 2023 Dec 26:38:100357. doi: 10.1016/j.ahjo.2023.100357. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Ramzi Ibrahim¹, Hoang Nhat Pham¹, Enkhtsogt Sainbayar¹, João Paulo Ferreira¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Arizona-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, United States of America.

Abstract

The trajectory of several cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), has been adversely impacted by COVID-19, resulting in a worse prognosis. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) has been found to affect certain CVD outcomes. In this cross-sectional analysis, we investigated the association between the SVI and comorbid COVID-19 and AMI mortality using the CDC databases. The SVI percentile rankings were divided into four quartiles, and age-adjusted mortality rates were compared between the lowest and highest SVI quartiles. Univariable Poisson regression was utilized to calculate risk ratios. A total of 5779 excess deaths and 1.17 excess deaths per 100,000 person-years (risk ratio 1.62) related to comorbid COVID-19 and AMI were attributable to higher social vulnerability. This pattern was consistent across the majority of US subpopulations. Our findings offer crucial epidemiological insights into the influence of the SVI and underscore the necessity for targeted therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: Disparities; Epidemiology; Outcomes; Social vulnerability.