Increased carotid intima-media thickness is associated with higher odds of unfavorable outcomes in adults without advanced vascular diseases presenting with non-severe COVID-19 pneumonia: a nested case-control study

• DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2023.64.344
• Publication Date: 2023-11-27T08:00:15Z
• Authors: Miljenko Crnjaković; Sabina Deveđija; Gorana Vukorepa; Stela Rutović; Davor Sporiš; Vladimir Trkulja
• Keywords: Odds; Intima-media thickness

AimTo evaluate the association between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) at hospital admission and unfavorable outcomes in adults without advanced vascular diseases presenting with non-severe COVID-19 pneumonia to assess feasibility of evaluating CIMT as a risk stratification aid this setting.MethodsThis proof-of-concept nested case-control study enrolled consecutive non-vaccinated free verified December 2020 June 2021. was measured admission, patients were managed line national Ministry Health guidelines. Those who died or required mechanical ventilation (MV) during index stay considered cases matched (entropy balancing, exact matching) on set covariates survivors not requiring MV (controls). Frequentist Bayesian logistic models fitted case status.ResultsThe 207 patients: 27 (13%) 180 controls. All retained analysis after entropy while exactly 99 Higher proximal internal artery (both left right) consistently associated higher odds being case: all ratio point-estimates ≥1.50 lower limits 99% confidence intervals/credibility intervals ≥1.00 two-sided probabilities OR>1.00 greater than 99.5%. The susceptibility estimates unmeasured confounding low.ConclusionThis supports disease pneumonia.