Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that patients with moderate to severe asthma belong to a high-risk group that is susceptible to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the association between asthma and COVID-19 has not been well-established. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of asthma among patients with COVID-19 in a major US health system. We assessed the clinical characteristics and comorbidities in asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients with COVID-19. We also determined the risk of hospitalization associated with asthma and/or inhaled corticosteroid use. Methods: Medical records of patients with COVID-19 were searched by a computer algorithm (March 1 to April 15, 2020), and chart review was used to validate the diagnosis of asthma and medications prescribed for asthma. All patients had PCRconfirmed COVID-19. Demographic and clinical features were characterized. Regression models were used to assess the associations between asthma and corticosteroid use and the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization. Results: Of 1526 patients identified with COVID-19, 220 (14%) were classified as having asthma. Asthma was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (relative risk, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.77-1.19) after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. The ongoing use of inhaled corticosteroids did not increase the risk of hospitalization in a similar adjusted model (relative risk, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.90-2.15). Conclusions: Despite a substantial prevalence of asthma in our COVID-19 cohort, asthma was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. Similarly, the use of inhaled corticosteroids with or without systemic corticosteroids was not associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020;146:307-14.)

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Background We examined the association of cardiovascular (CV) health at younger ages with the proportion of life lived free of morbidity, the cumulative burden of morbidity, and average healthcare costs at older ages. Methods The Chicago Heart Association (CHA) study is a longitudinal cohort of employed men and women aged 18–74 years at baseline examination in 1967–1973. Baseline measurements included blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, BMI and smoking. Individuals were classified into one of four strata of CV health: favorable levels of all factors, 0 factors high but 1+ elevated, 1 high, and ≥2 high risk factors. Linked Medicare and National Death Index data from 1984–2010 were used to determine morbidity in older age. An individual’s all-cause morbidity score and CV morbidity score were calculated from ICD-9 codes for each year of follow-up. Results We included 25,804 participants who became 65 years of age or older by 2010, representing 65% of all original CHA participants (43% female, 90% White, mean age 44 at baseline); 6% had favorable levels of all factors, 19% had 1+ risk factors at elevated levels, 40% had 1 high risk factor and 35% had 2+ high risk factors. Favorable CV health at younger ages extended survival by almost 4 years and postponed the onset of all-cause and CV morbidity by 4·5 and 7 years, respectively, resulting in compression of morbidity in both absolute and relative terms. This translated to lower cumulative and annual healthcare costs for those in favorable CV health (p<0.001) during Medicare eligibility. Conclusions Individuals in favorable CV health in early middle age live a longer, healthier life free of all types of morbidity. These findings provide strong support for prevention efforts earlier in life aimed at preserving cardiovascular health and reducing the burden of disease in older ages.

Background Previous studies have suggested an inverse relationship between physical activity and markers of inflammation such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). However, these were inconsistent, and few examined whether race and gender influenced the relationship. This study determined a cross-sectional association between physical activity and hs-CRP level in 6142 middle-aged white, Chinese, black, and Hispanic participants enrolled in the Multi Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis in 2000–2002. Methods Combined moderate and vigorous physical activity was measured by self-reported leisure, conditioning, occupational, and household activities. ANCOVA was used to assess the association between moderate/vigorous physical activity and hs-CRP by gender and race. Results Hs-CRP was higher in women. Blacks had the highest hs-CRP, and Chinese participants had the lowest. Hs-CRP decreased across tertiles of moderate/vigorous physical activity in Hispanic men in models adjusted for age, education, study site, and physical activity questionnaire mode of administration (p=0.005) and further adjusted for smoking, infection, and aspirin use (p=0.020). The trend remained significant after further adjustment for BMI; blood pressure; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; diabetes; and the use of antihypertensive, statin, and diabetes medication (p=0.044). There was a downward trend in hs-CRP across tertiles of physical activity in black and white men, but the association was weaker. No clear trend was observed in any female racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions These findings suggest that the association between moderate/vigorous physical activity and hs-CRP differs by race and gender. Further studies are needed to confirm this and to examine the mechanisms for these race and gender differences.

Background: Nutritional status influences immunity but its specific association with susceptibility to COVID-19 remains unclear. We examined the association of specific dietary data and incident COVID-19 in the UK Biobank (UKB). Methods: We considered UKB participants in England with self-reported baseline (2006–2010) data and linked them to Public Health England COVID-19 test results—performed on samples from combined nose/throat swabs, using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)—between March and November 2020. Baseline diet factors included breastfed as baby and specific consumption of coffee, tea, oily fish, processed meat, red meat, fruit, and vegetables. Individual COVID-19 exposure was estimated using the UK’s average monthly positive case rate per specific geo-populations. Logistic regression estimated the odds of COVID-19 positivity by diet status adjusting for baseline socio-demographic factors, medical history, and other lifestyle factors. Another model was further adjusted for COVID-19 exposure. Results: Eligible UKB participants (n = 37,988) were 40 to 70 years of age at baseline; 17% tested positive for COVID-19 by SAR-CoV-2 PCR. After multivariable adjustment, the odds (95% CI) of COVID-19 positivity was 0.90 (0.83, 0.96) when consuming 2–3 cups of coffee/day (vs. <1 cup/day), 0.88 (0.80, 0.98) when consuming vegetables in the third quartile of servings/day (vs. lowest quartile), 1.14 (1.01, 1.29) when consuming fourth quartile servings of processed meats (vs. lowest quartile), and 0.91 (0.85, 0.98) when having been breastfed (vs. not breastfed). Associations were attenuated when further adjusted for COVID-19 exposure, but patterns of associations remained. Conclusions: In the UK Biobank, consumption of coffee, vegetables, and being breastfed as a baby were favorably associated with incident COVID-19; intake of processed meat was adversely associated. Although these findings warrant independent confirmation, adherence to certain dietary behaviors may be an additional tool to existing COVID-19 protection guidelines to limit the spread of this virus.