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Older Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Nationwide Study in Turkey
Mert Esme1, Meltem Koca1, Ayse Dikmeer1
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
This study analyzed COVID-19 outcomes in 16,942 hospitalized older adults in Turkey. Male gender and comorbidities like diabetes and heart failure significantly increased mortality risk in older COVID-19 patients.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The global emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) necessitated understanding its impact on vulnerable populations.
- Older adults represent a high-risk group for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- This study focuses on clinical characteristics and mortality in hospitalized elderly patients in Turkey.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical features of hospitalized older adults with COVID-19 in Turkey.
- To identify risk factors associated with mortality in this demographic.
- To investigate the relationship between specific comorbidities and COVID-19 mortality in older individuals.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of nationwide health database records.
- Inclusion criteria: hospitalized patients aged 60 years or older with confirmed COVID-19.
- Data collected from March 11, 2020, to May 27, 2020.
Main Results:
- A cohort of 16,942 older adults (mean age 71.2 years; 51% female) was analyzed.
- Mortality rates differed significantly before and after curfew (32.2% vs. 17.9%).
- Independent risk factors for mortality included male gender, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and dementia. Age-specific risks were identified for hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and malnutrition.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a significant age-related association between specific comorbidities and COVID-19 mortality.
- Findings highlight the critical role of comorbidities in predicting outcomes for older COVID-19 patients.
- Results underscore the importance of targeted interventions for high-risk elderly individuals during pandemics.
Background:
A novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) occurred in China in December 2019 and has spread globally. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized older adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Turkey.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of hospitalized patients aged ≥ 60 years with confirmed COVID-19 from March 11, 2020 to May 27, 2020 using nationwide health database.
Results:
In this nationwide cohort, a total of 16,942 hospitalized older adults with COVID-19 were enrolled, of whom 8,635 (51%) were women. Mean age was 71.2 ± 8.5 years, ranging from 60 to 113 years. Mortality rate before and after curfew was statistically different (32.2% vs. 17.9%; p < .001, respectively). Through multivariate analysis of the causes of death in older patients, we found that male gender, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, dementia, were all significantly associated with mortality in entire cohort. In addition to abovementioned risk factors, in patients aged between 60 and 79 years, hypertension, chronic kidney disease and cancer and in patients 80 years of age and older malnutrition were also associated with increased risk of mortality.
Conclusions:
In addition to the results of previous studies with smaller sample size, our results confirmed the age-related relationship between specific comorbidities and COVID-19-related mortality.
