Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity

Introduction Obstructive lung diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) and smoking are associated with greater risk of respiratory infections and hospitalisations, but conflicting data exist regarding their association with severity of COVID-19, and few studies have evaluat...

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Main Authors: Peter P Moschovis, Elsie Taveras, Patricia L Hibberd, Lael M Yonker, Douglas Hayden, Mengdi Lu, Jesiel Lombay, Alexy Arauz Boudreau, Virginia A Triant, Andrea S Foulkes, Ingrid Bassett, T Bernard Kinane
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-01-01
Series:BMJ Open Respiratory Research
Online Access:https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001038.full
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author Peter P Moschovis
Elsie Taveras
Patricia L Hibberd
Lael M Yonker
Douglas Hayden
Mengdi Lu
Jesiel Lombay
Alexy Arauz Boudreau
Virginia A Triant
Andrea S Foulkes
Ingrid Bassett
T Bernard Kinane
author_facet Peter P Moschovis
Elsie Taveras
Patricia L Hibberd
Lael M Yonker
Douglas Hayden
Mengdi Lu
Jesiel Lombay
Alexy Arauz Boudreau
Virginia A Triant
Andrea S Foulkes
Ingrid Bassett
T Bernard Kinane
author_sort Peter P Moschovis
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Obstructive lung diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) and smoking are associated with greater risk of respiratory infections and hospitalisations, but conflicting data exist regarding their association with severity of COVID-19, and few studies have evaluated whether these associations differ by age.Objectives To examine the associations between asthma, COPD and smoking on the severity of COVID-19 among a cohort of hospitalised patients, and to test for effect modification by age.Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data of patients admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital, assigning the maximal WHO Clinical Progression Scale score for each patient during the first 28 days following hospital admission. Using ordered logistic regression, we measured the association between maximal severity score and asthma, COPD and smoking and their interaction with age.Measurements and main results Among 1391 patients hospitalised with COVID-19, we found an increased risk of severe disease among patients with COPD and prior smoking, independent of age. We also found evidence of effect modification by age with asthma and current smoking; in particular, asthma was associated with decreased COVID-19 severity among older adults, and current smoking was associated with decreased severity among younger patients.Conclusions This cohort study identifies age as a modifying factor for the association between asthma and smoking on severity of COVID-19. Our findings highlight the complexities of determining risk factors for COVID-19 severity, and suggest that the effect of risk factors may vary across the age spectrum.
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spelling doaj-art-792a78b69a3c47c497dd8ac35a3e30372024-11-24T16:00:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Respiratory Research2052-44392021-01-018110.1136/bmjresp-2021-001038Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severityPeter P Moschovis0Elsie Taveras1Patricia L Hibberd2Lael M Yonker3Douglas Hayden4Mengdi Lu5Jesiel Lombay6Alexy Arauz Boudreau7Virginia A Triant8Andrea S Foulkes9Ingrid Bassett10T Bernard Kinane11Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA4 School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USABiostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USABiostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USAIntroduction Obstructive lung diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) and smoking are associated with greater risk of respiratory infections and hospitalisations, but conflicting data exist regarding their association with severity of COVID-19, and few studies have evaluated whether these associations differ by age.Objectives To examine the associations between asthma, COPD and smoking on the severity of COVID-19 among a cohort of hospitalised patients, and to test for effect modification by age.Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data of patients admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital, assigning the maximal WHO Clinical Progression Scale score for each patient during the first 28 days following hospital admission. Using ordered logistic regression, we measured the association between maximal severity score and asthma, COPD and smoking and their interaction with age.Measurements and main results Among 1391 patients hospitalised with COVID-19, we found an increased risk of severe disease among patients with COPD and prior smoking, independent of age. We also found evidence of effect modification by age with asthma and current smoking; in particular, asthma was associated with decreased COVID-19 severity among older adults, and current smoking was associated with decreased severity among younger patients.Conclusions This cohort study identifies age as a modifying factor for the association between asthma and smoking on severity of COVID-19. Our findings highlight the complexities of determining risk factors for COVID-19 severity, and suggest that the effect of risk factors may vary across the age spectrum.https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001038.full
spellingShingle Peter P Moschovis
Elsie Taveras
Patricia L Hibberd
Lael M Yonker
Douglas Hayden
Mengdi Lu
Jesiel Lombay
Alexy Arauz Boudreau
Virginia A Triant
Andrea S Foulkes
Ingrid Bassett
T Bernard Kinane
Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
BMJ Open Respiratory Research
title Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
title_full Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
title_fullStr Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
title_full_unstemmed Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
title_short Effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases, smoking, and COVID-19 severity
title_sort effect modification by age of the association between obstructive lung diseases smoking and covid 19 severity
url https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001038.full
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