Coronavirus: 4 conditions that cause maximum COVID hospitalizations, according to studies

For many people, a bout with COVID-19 is usually a mild one and can be managed at home.

However, for those who contract a severe case of COVID-19, it can cause severe COVID and even lead to mortality. Hospitalized COVID cases are considered to be the most serious and also put people at the risk of developing long COVID and lingering side-effects, which may require prolonged care and support. The risk factors are also the highest for those suffering from comorbidities.

By now, we do know that certain people have a higher risk of getting COVID and the same can be said for COVID severity as well. Some medical conditions and factors make a person more vulnerable to landing in the hospital after COVID, irrespective of age.

More particularly, 4 conditions, or comorbidities have been linked to have caused maximum COVID related complications and hospitalizations in 2020.

In fact, newer studies that have been published in the Journal of American Heart Association, these comorbidities also considerably flared up COVID hospitalization risk for people after an age.

While doctors do point out that prioritizing care and need for those suffering from pre-existing illnesses can save people from severe risks, researchers involved in the study also observed that most hospitalizations could be easily evaded, if the comorbidities are controlled or effectively managed within 6-8 weeks with a quality diet and lifestyle remedies.

An analysis of over 5000 patients from New York, USA and underlying rates of health conditions painted these four conditions to be the riskiest.

Diabetes is one of the biggest comorbidities attached with a high COVID-19 risk. While there are emerging reports which suggest that a fight with COVID could disturb glucose levels and trigger diabetes in people, uncontrolled diabetes puts people at severely high risk for COVID hospitalization and scales up mortality risk as well. It has also been observed that people suffering from diabetes have an exceptionally higher risk of developing stranger COVID symptoms, such as COVID toes, skin inflammation.

Another study, done by King's College, London, found that patients who suffer from 'diabetes retinopathy', which is marked by damage to the blood vessels around the eyes is a common complication with Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes are also five times more likely to be administrated ventilator support.

Since diabetes is also an immuno-suppressant condition, patients are right now, the most vulnerable to the dangers. People with high or unmanaged blood sugar levels have less than normal blood flow, which makes it difficult for the body to harness nutrients, natural defences meant to protect the body against several infections and promote healing. It can also take a little longer than usual for people with diabetes to recover as well. It can also invite other diseases and make it harder to fight off a germ as lethal as COVID-19.

Obesity, which has turned into a global lifestyle epidemic is not just a major health concern but gravely increases the risk for COVID associated complications and severity. In a condition like morbid obesity, acute inflammation can lead to a delayed, or deficient immune response. Apart from that, obesity is also linked to several other diseases and health risks that can compromise one’s immunity and put them at risk.

Some studies in the past year have also observed that obese people have a higher vulnerability of encountering the infamous COVID cytokine storm, which makes the body's immune system turn on itself since they may also have a higher than usual level of immune-regulating proteins in the body, also known as cytokines, which, in some cases can force the immune system to misinterpret signals and damage healthy cells and tissues.

There could be additional challenges that hinder recovery in a hospital setting. From challenges like difficult intubation (ventilator support), reduced lung capacity, insulin resistance and a high presence of ACE2 receptors, obesity and high BMI levels must be corrected at once.

Hypertension, or unregulated blood pressure levels can again be bad comorbidity for COVID-19. Preliminary findings conducted over the past year of the pandemic have also observed that people suffering from hypertension are more likely to have worse symptoms or die from COVID-19. In fact, analysis of data from the US and China-based hospitalizations have also observed that unmanaged blood pressure levels were a common ailment, affecting between 30% to 50% of the patients/

Not only does bad blood pressure control make a person susceptible to weaker immunity, it may also increase the presence of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in the body, which are enzymes the SARS-COV-2 virus uses to attach itself and attack the body. These receptors and inhibitors, though present naturally may also be increased by the drugs used to treat hypertension, thus, putting patients at an increased risk for vulnerability and severity.

One of the most profoundly impacted organs by COVID is the heart. According to a study published in JAMA Cardiology, nearly 78% of recovered patients throng back to hospitals complaining of heart ailments. New evidence now suggests that cardiac problems could also strike those in the first days of infection, even for those who show no visible symptoms. Doctors now also agree that COVID threatens a lot of risk for those impacted by cardiovascular and heart problems. From decreased heart function, inflammation (also referred to as myocarditis), pain, shortness of breath, postural drop blood pressure and other related problems, heart patients, and the ones who have had surgery in the past must safeguard their health in the best possible manner to prevent bad outcomes.