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Preexisting Comorbidities Predicting COVID-19 and Mortality in the UK Biobank Community Cohort
Atkins JL, Masoli JAH, Delgado J, Pilling LC, Kuo CL, Kuchel GA, Melzer D.. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2020-10-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Hospitalized COVID-19 patients tend to be older and frequently have hypertension, diabetes, or coronary heart disease, but whether these comorbidities are true risk factors (ie, more common than in the general older population) is unclear. We estimated associations between preexisting diagnoses and hospitalized COVID-19 alone or with mortality, in a large community cohort. Methods UK Biobank (England) participants with baseline assessment 2006-2010, followed in hospital discharge records to 2017 and death records to 2020. Demographic and preexisting common diagnoses association tested with hospitalized laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 (March 16 to April 26, 2020), alone or with mortality, in logistic models. Results Of 269 070 participants aged older than 65, 507 (0.2%) became COVID-19 hospital inpatients, of which 141 (27.8%) died. Common comorbidities in hospitalized inpatients were hypertension (59.6%), history of fall or fragility fractures (29.4%), coronary heart disease (21.5%), type 2 diabetes (type 2, 19. 9%), and asthma (17.6%). However, in models adjusted for comorbidities, age group, sex, ethnicity, and education, preexisting diagnoses of dementia, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, depression, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension emerged as independent risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization, the first 5 remaining statistically significant for related mortality. Chronic kidney disease and asthma were risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization in women but not men. Conclusions There are specific high-risk preexisting comorbidities for COVID-19 hospitalization and related deaths in community-based older men and women. These results do not support simple age-based targeting of the older population to prevent severe COVID-19 infections.
Key findings
- Results Of 269 070 participants aged older than 65, 507 (0.2%) became COVID-19 hospital inpatients, of which 141 (27.8%) died.
- However, in models adjusted for comorbidities, age group, sex, ethnicity, and education, preexisting diagnoses of dementia, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, depression, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension emerged as independent risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization, the first 5 remaining statistically significant for related mortality.
- These results do not support simple age-based targeting of the older population to prevent severe COVID-19 infections.
Why it matters
This cohort study found that preexisting diagnoses including dementia were independent risk factors for COVID-19 hospitalization in older adults. It describes risk factors for COVID-19 and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants19
- Effect size0.2%; 27.8%; 59.6%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journals of Gerontology Series A: journal h-index 274 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 19 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 503 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 62.9 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 61 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David R. Melzer: h-index 86 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Exeter: institution h-index 905 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32687551) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa183
- PubMed: 32687551
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journals of Gerontology Series A →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Atkins, J. L., Masoli, J. A. H., Delgado, J., Pilling, L. C., Kuo, C. L., Kuchel, G. A., et al. (2020). Preexisting Comorbidities Predicting COVID-19 and Mortality in the UK Biobank Community Cohort. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa183
Vancouver
Atkins JL, Masoli JAH, Delgado J, Pilling LC, Kuo CL, Kuchel GA, et al. Preexisting Comorbidities Predicting COVID-19 and Mortality in the UK Biobank Community Cohort. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2020. doi:10.1093/gerona/glaa183. PMID: 32687551.
BibTeX
@article{atkins2020-32687551,
author = {Atkins, J. L. and Masoli, J. A. H. and Delgado, J. and Pilling, L. C. and Kuo, C. L. and Kuchel, G. A. and Melzer, D.},
title = {{Preexisting Comorbidities Predicting COVID-19 and Mortality in the UK Biobank Community Cohort}},
journal = {The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1093/gerona/glaa183},
pmid = {32687551},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa183}
}
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