Increased COVID-19 mortality in BAME patient groups
Aseem Malhotra 1, Ravi Kamepalli 2, JS Bamrah 3
1 Consultant Cardiologist, Visiting Professor of Evidence Based Medicine, Bahiana School of Medicine and Public
Health, Salvador, Brazil
2 Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Obesity, Regional Infectious Diseases Infusion Centre, Lima, Ohio, United States
3 Consultant Psychiatrist, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
Keywords
HbA1C, BAME, Metabolic disease, COVID-19
Editorial Note
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension are the most common comorbidities in patients with coronavirus infections.
Emerging evidence demonstrates an important direct metabolic and endocrine mechanistic link to the viral disease
process. Metabolic syndrome (METS) is a common denominator to these comorbidities and includes insulin resistance,
dyslipidaemia, central obesity and hypertension, which are risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases. In 2017, it was estimated that METS affected 20% of North American population, 25% of
European population and approximately 15% of Chinese population. In this scenario, the relationship between METS
and its comorbidities that aggravate the COVID-19 prognosis cannot be ignored. Also, its presence in different ethnicities
and continents places METS as an important risk factor for COVID-19. The authors offer their scientific and
epidemiological perspective on this emerging association and urge an international awareness of its devastating
consequences among certain populations. This article welcomes debate among scientists, policy makers and wider
community leaders. The authors urge clinicians to encourage thorough metabolic control for all patients at risk of COVID19. (a,b) The Physician welcomes contributions from interested scientists, policy makers and patient representative organisations to continue this discourse.