Los Angeles County health officials announced that high blood pressure and diabetes are the most common underlying conditions found among those with comorbidities who die from COVID-19.
Having an underlying condition can strongly increase the risk of death from COVID-19, and about 85% of Angelenos who died from the virus had at least one comorbidity, which is the presence of one or more additional conditions.
High blood pressure was the most common, seen in 52% of deaths. Another 41% of decedents had diabetes, and 26% had a cardiovascular disease other than hypertension, officials said.
A neurologic disease was the fourth-leading preexisting condition, noted among 21% of those who died, and 16% had chronic renal disease, according to the Department of Public Health.
In the United States 41% of blacks have high blood pressure, as compared to 27% of whites. The prevalence of hypertension in blacks living in the United States demonstrates that environmental and behavioral characteristics are the more likely reasons for the higher prevalence in blacks living in the United States.
There are 18 genotypes and intermediate phenotypes that were implicated with an increase of blood pressure in blacks. A higher sensitivity to alcohol could be added to that list, as well as a higher renal retention of sodium by blacks.
The “slavery hypertension hypothesis” states that the higher prevalence of hypertension among blacks could have resulted from an enhanced ability to conserve salt by slaves, protecting them from fatal salt-depletive diseases during the stormy Atlantic passage, such as diarrhea and vomiting.5
Diagnosed diabetes is highest among American Indians/Alaska Natives (14.7%), people of Hispanic origin (12.5%), and non-Hispanic blacks (11.7%), followed by non-Hispanic Asians (9.2%) and non-Hispanic whites (7.5%)
Blacks have the highest rate of cardiovascular disease in the U.S., with about 47 percent affected. The rate of neurological disease in African Americans is difficult to accurately quantify at this time.
“People who live with chronic illnesses suffer the worst outcomes of COVID-19 infection,” the department said in a statement. “These numbers should remind us of the importance of ensuring equitable access to preventive healthcare and the other resources that reduce people’s vulnerability to this virus.”
Those with such underlying conditions became eligible for a vaccine in California on March 15, due to their higher risk of death from the virus. Click here for more information on how to find a vaccine appointment in Southern California, where everyone over age 16 is now eligible.
Chronic illness was also a leading indicator of COVID-19 hospitalization, with about 87% of those treated for the virus in L.A. County from last August to January having at least one comorbidity.
The most common preexisting condition among hospitalized patients was cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, observed in 66% of patients, officials said.
That was followed by diabetes, found in 42% of people hospitalized, and 36% of those who died were obese, according to the health department figures.
Another 57 coronavirus deaths were reported in L.A. County Wednesday, raising the pandemic’s toll to 23,553.
Around 500 people were battling the virus in hospitals countywide as of Wednesday, about a quarter of them in intensive care.
But health officials pointed to one encouraging figure: With more older residents becoming fully vaccinated, the rate of hospitalization for people 80 and older has dropped by 96%.