Systemic Inflammation and COVID-19 Mortality in Patients with Major Noncommunicable Diseases: Chronic Coronary Syndromes, Diabetes and Obesity

• Main Authors: Andreea-Luciana Buicu, Simona Cernea, Imre Benedek, Corneliu-Florin Buicu, Theodora Benedek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: inflammation; cytokine storm; chronic coronary syndrome; type 2 diabetes; obesity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/8/1545

COVID-19 is currently considered an inflammatory disease affecting the entire organism. In severe forms, an augmented inflammatory response leads to the fulminant “cytokine storm”, which may result in severe multisystemic end-organ damage. Apart from the acute inflammatory response, it seems that chronic inflammation also plays a major role in the clinical evolution of COVID-19 patients. Pre-existing inflammatory conditions, such as those associated with chronic coronary diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus or obesity, may be associated with worse clinical outcomes in the context of COVID-19 disease. These comorbidities are reported as powerful predictors of poor outcomes and death following COVID-19 disease. Moreover, in the context of chronic coronary syndrome, the cytokine storm triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection may favor vulnerabilization and rupture of a silent atheromatous plaque, with consequent acute coronary syndrome, leading to a sudden deterioration of the clinical condition of the patient. This review aims to present the current status of knowledge regarding the link between COVID-19 mortality, systemic inflammation and several major diseases associated with poor outcomes, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity.