Question:

If I have heart issues, does my ethnicity or race increase my risk for developing COVID?

Answer:

by Briana Costello, MD

Adjusted large data presented at the American Heart Association Meeting in November of 2020 suggests that ethnicity and race are not independent risk factors for increases in major adverse cardiac events or death— however, some minorities are disproportionately infected in the community. Hypertension and obesity are the biggest risk factors for COVID-19 — not your race or ethnicity. If you are less than 50 years old, your risk of death increases as your BMI increases. Because African American and Hispanic members of the community have 50% higher rates of hospitalization and death due to COVID, this is very commonly confused with a higher risk for getting COVID – which is not the same statistic.