Incidence and risk factors of myocarditis in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19

Abstract

AbstractMyocarditis as cardiac involvement in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐infection is well known. Real‐world data about incidence in hospitalized COVID‐19‐patients and risk factors for myocarditis in COVID‐19‐patients are sparse. We used the German nationwide inpatient sample to analyze all hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID‐19‐diagnosis in Germany in 2020 and stratified them for myocarditis. Overall, 176 137 hospitalizations (52.3% males, 53.6% aged ≥70 years) with confirmed COVID‐19‐infection were coded in Germany in 2020 and among them, 226 (0.01%) had myocarditis (incidence: 1.28 per 1000 hospitalization‐cases). Absolute numbers of myocarditis increased, while relative numbers decreased with age. COVID‐19‐patients with myocarditis were younger (64.0 [IQR: 43.0/78.0] vs. 71.0 [56.0/82.0], p < 0.001). In‐hospital case‐fatality was 1.3‐fold higher in COVID‐19‐patients with than without myocarditis (24.3% vs. 18.9%, p = 0.012). Myocarditis was independently associated with increased case‐fatality (OR: 1.89 [95% CI: 1.33−2.67], p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for myocarditis were age <70 years (OR: 2.36 [95% CI: 1.72−3.24], p < 0.001), male sex (1.68 [95% CI: 1.28−2.23], p < 0.001), pneumonia (OR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.30−2.42], p < 0.001), and multisystemic inflammatory COVID‐19‐infection (OR: 10.73 [95% CI: 5.39−21.39], p < 0.001). The incidence of myocarditis in hospitalized COVID‐19‐patients in Germany was 1.28 cases per 1000 hospitalizations in 2020. Risk factors for myocarditis in COVID‐19 were young age, male sex, pneumonia, and multisystemic inflammatory COVID‐19‐infection. Myocarditis was independently associated with increased case‐fatality.