Heart disease — already the top killer of men and women in the U.S. — may be particularly worrisome in the era of the new coronavirus.
It’s among conditions that appear to make people more vulnerable to the severe form of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of April 20, five of the top 10 chronic health problems suffered by people who have died of COVID-19 in New York — the U.S. epicenter of the crisis — involved cardiovascular disease, the state’s health department reported.
The No. 1 cormobidity was high blood pressure. Hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol, was in third place, followed by coronary artery disease. Atrial fibrillation and stroke also made the grim list.
