TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 and Older Adults
T2 - What We Know
AU - Shahid, Zainab
AU - Kalayanamitra, Ricci
AU - McClafferty, Brendan
AU - Kepko, Douglas
AU - Ramgobin, Devyani
AU - Patel, Ravi
AU - Aggarwal, Chander Shekher
AU - Vunnam, Ramarao
AU - Sahu, Nitasa
AU - Bhatt, Dhirisha
AU - Jones, Kirk
AU - Golamari, Reshma
AU - Jain, Rohit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The American Geriatrics Society
PY - 2020/5/1
Y1 - 2020/5/1
N2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that causes COVID-19 infection, has recently emerged and caused a deadly pandemic. Studies have shown that this virus causes worse outcomes and a higher mortality rate in older adults and those with comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). A significant percentage of older American adults have these diseases, putting them at a higher risk of infection. Additionally, many adults with hypertension, diabetes, and CKD are placed on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Studies have shown that these medications upregulate the ACE-2 receptor, the very receptor that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter host cells. Although it has been hypothesized that this may cause a further increased risk of infection, more studies on the role of these medications in COVID-19 infections are necessary. In this review, we discuss the transmission, symptomatology, and mortality of COVID-19 as they relate to older adults, and possible treatments that are currently under investigation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:926–929, 2020.
AB - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that causes COVID-19 infection, has recently emerged and caused a deadly pandemic. Studies have shown that this virus causes worse outcomes and a higher mortality rate in older adults and those with comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). A significant percentage of older American adults have these diseases, putting them at a higher risk of infection. Additionally, many adults with hypertension, diabetes, and CKD are placed on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Studies have shown that these medications upregulate the ACE-2 receptor, the very receptor that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter host cells. Although it has been hypothesized that this may cause a further increased risk of infection, more studies on the role of these medications in COVID-19 infections are necessary. In this review, we discuss the transmission, symptomatology, and mortality of COVID-19 as they relate to older adults, and possible treatments that are currently under investigation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:926–929, 2020.
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U2 - 10.1111/jgs.16472
DO - 10.1111/jgs.16472
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32255507
AN - SCOPUS:85084067310
SN - 0002-8614
VL - 68
SP - 926
EP - 929
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
IS - 5
ER -