Association Between Cardiovascular Risk and Coronavirus Disease 2019: Findings from 2021 National Health Interview Survey.

PURPOSE:To examine the association between pre-existing cardiovascular disorders and the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among community-dwelling adults in the United States.METHODS:We analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey, encompassing 28,848 nationally representative participants aged ≥18. We examined the association by two age groups, younger adults (aged 18-59) and older adults (aged ≥60). Weighted analyses were conducted to consider the complex sampling design used in the National Health Interview Survey.RESULTS:The results show that 13.9% of younger and 8.2% of older adults were infected with coronavirus, corresponding to a nationwide estimate of 23,701,358 COVID-19 cases in younger adults and 6310,206 in older adults in 2021. Pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors (overweight, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes) in both age groups and pre-existing cardiovascular diseases (angina, heart attack, and coronary heart disease) in older adults were significantly associated with COVID-19 infection. Significant dose-response relationships existed between increased pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors and COVID-19 infection, with the strongest association in non-Hispanic Black, followed by Hispanic ethnicities and non-Hispanic White.CONCLUSIONS:Pre-existing cardiovascular disorders are significantly associated with the risk of COVID-19 infection. The magnitudes of this risk association are more substantial among minority populations.