Coronary artery calcification: Effects on severity and survival in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of coronary artery calcification on disease severity and prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-one patients with COVID-19 were included in this study. The severity of pulmonary involvement and calcification of coronary arteries were assessed by computed tomography scan and calcification was classified by two methods: Weston and segmental. In both the methods, patients were divided into three groups with scores of 0, 1–6, and 7–12, which are called groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 54.26 ± 14.55. Difference in score of pulmonary involvement was reported to be significant between deceased and discharged patients (11.73 ± 5.26 and 7.28 ± 4.47, P = 0.002, respectively). In Weston score system, the chance of recovery of Group 1 patients was significantly higher than Group 3 (odds ratio [OR] =6.72, P = 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.901–50.257). Similar results were observed in the segmental scoring system (OR =6.34, P = 0.049, 95% CI =1.814–49.416). Despite the higher chance of severe disease in patients with coronary artery calcification, this increase was not statistically significant in either Weston or segmental methods (OR =0.47, P = 0.23 and OR =0.85, P = 0.79, respectively). CONCLUSION: Coronary artery calcification in patients with COVID-19 has a significant association with poor prognosis. However, no significant relationship was observed between this issue and the severity.