Combined Burden of Heart Failure and Arterial Hypertension as Predictors of Adverse Outcomes in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Background

Cardiovascular comorbidities are major determinants of poor outcomes among patients admitted with COVID-19. However, the prognostic role of arterial hypertension alone remains uncertain. Little is known about the cumulative impact of concomitant hypertension and heart failure. This study assessed whether the combined burden of arterial hypertension and pre-existing heart failure identifies a high-risk phenotype for adverse in-hospital outcomes among COVID-19 patients.

Methods

In this retrospective, real-world cohort study, 395 consecutive adults hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 at a single infectious diseases center between March 2020 and December 2024 were included. We categorized patients into three cardiovascular phenotype groups: no hypertension or heart failure (n = 23), hypertension without heart failure (n = 193), and concomitant hypertension and heart failure (n = 178). The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality, while ICU admission served as a secondary outcome, invasive mechanical ventilation, and length of hospital stay. Multivariable logistic regression included age, sex, BMI, diabetes mellitus, and vaccination status to evaluate independent associations between the cardiovascular risk group and outcomes.

Results

Overall in-hospital mortality was 7.3% (29/395). Mortality increased stepwise across the cardiovascular risk groups: 8.7% in patients without hypertension or heart failure, 3.1% in those with hypertension only, and 11.8% in patients with concomitant hypertension and heart failure (p = 0.004). In adjusted analyses, concomitant hypertension and heart failure were linked to higher adjusted odds of in-hospital death than no cardiovascular disease (odds ratio, 3.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-8.35). Isolated hypertension was not significantly associated with mortality. ICU admission and length of hospital stay also increased with cumulative cardiovascular burden. Patients with combined hypertension and heart failure showed more pronounced inflammatory and renal abnormalities at admission.

Conclusions

Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the coexistence of arterial hypertension and heart failure identifies a vulnerable cardiovascular phenotype associated with higher in-hospital mortality and resource use than either no cardiovascular disease or hypertension alone. These findings support evaluating cardiovascular comorbidities cumulatively rather than in isolation. These findings are exploratory and require external validation in independent, larger multicentre cohorts. Findings may support careful use for short-term risk stratification and closer monitoring strategies during COVID-19 hospitalization.