An analysis of Geisinger's electronic health records has revealed chronic kidney disease as the leading risk factor for hospitalization from COVID-19.
Geisinger researchers studied the health records of 12,971 individuals who were tested for COVID-19 within the Geisinger system between March 7 and May 19. Of this group, 1,604 were COVID-positive, and 354 required hospitalization. The team analyzed the records for the association between specific clinical conditions, including kidney, cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic conditions, and COVID-19 hospitalization.
Overall, chronic kidney disease was most strongly associated with hospitalization, and COVID-19 patients with end-stage renal disease were 11 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients without kidney disease.
"Previous studies have identified a variety of health conditions associated with an increased risk of COVID-related hospitalization, including diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. What is significant here is the magnitude of the kidney disease-related risk. These findings highlight the need to prevent COVID-19-related illness in patients with kidney disease and other high-risk conditions," Alex Chang, M.D., Geisinger nephrologist and co-director of Geisinger's Kidney Health Research Institute said.
While the sample size studied was relatively small, Geisinger's resources as an integrated health system allowed for a fairly comprehensive analysis of available data.
"Our team used a novel approach made possible by our extensive electronic health records, unique demographic data, and integrated health system," said Tooraj Mirshahi, Ph.D., associate professor for Geisinger's Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics.
"We were able to perform this study despite having a much lower number of COVID-19 cases compared to large hospitals in metropolitan areas."