Norris T, Razieh C, Zaccardi F, et al. - In this study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, cardiovascular complications or death affected just under half of all patients, with highest risk evident in South Asians or Blacks and in those having cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

• In this multicentre, prospective cohort study in 302 UK healthcare facilities, a total of 65,624 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were included, of which 44,598 (68.0%) had at least one cardiometabolic condition on admission.

• Occurrence of cardiovascular (heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiac ischaemia, cardiac arrest, coagulation complications, stroke)/renal complications or death was reported in 38.0% (n=24,609) of patients.

• Independent association of baseline cardiometabolic conditions with elevated odds of in-hospital complications was found, and elevation in this risk was evident in the presence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

• A 1.46, 2.04 and 3.10 times higher odds of any cardiovascular/renal complication was observed in relation to 1, 2 or ≥3 cardiometabolic conditions, respectively, vs having no cardiometabolic conditions.

• For all-cause mortality, a similar pattern was seen.

• Higher risk of any cardiovascular/renal complication was found in the South Asian (OR 1.19) and black (OR 1.53) ethnic groups, vs the white group.