https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2021.1443

Gender differences in COVID-19 patients: a regional survey among physicians of Internal Medicine Wards

Vol. 15 No. 3 (2021)
Submitted: 17 December 2020
Accepted: 9 April 2021
Published: 24 September 2021
Hypertensive, COVID-19, gender differences, arterial hypertension.
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Authors

Tiziana Ciarambino
tiziana.ciarambino@gmail.com
Internal Medicine Department, Hospital of Marcianise, ASL Caserta, Italy.
Alfonso Ilardi
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.
Orazio Valerio Giannico
Department of Prevention, ASL Taranto, Italy.
Ada Maffettone
Internal Medicine Department, Ospedale Monaldi Napoli, Italy.
Filippina Ciaburri
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.
Venere Delli Paoli
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.
Andrea Fontanella
Internal Medicine Department, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, Napoli, Italy.
Paolo Tirelli
Internal Medicine Department, Ospedale del Mare, Napoli, Italy.
Carolina Bologna
Internal Medicine Department, Ospedale del Mare, Napoli, Italy.
Fernando Gallucci
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.
Mario Visconti
Emeritus Chief of Internal Medicine, ASL Napoli 1, Napoli, Italy.
Domenico Caruso
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.
Maria Amitrano
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Moscati Avellino, Italy.
Mauro Giordano
Internal Medicine Department, University of Campania, L. Vanvitelli, Napoli, Italy.
Maria D'Avino
Internal Medicine Department, AORN Cardarelli Napoli, Italy.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected millions of individuals around the World. Hypertension (HT), chronic heart disease (CHD), and diabetes mellitus (DM), particularly in the elderly, increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, conflicting results [such as coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease vulnerability, case fatality, etc.] have been reported about the response to infection and COVID-19 outcomes in men and women. Therefore, understanding predictors of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission might help future planning and management of the disease. We conducted a multicenter survey about COVID-19 involving internists from Internal Medicine Wards. This survey indirectly allowed us to analyze the information of 2400 patients hospitalized in 35 wards of Internal Medicine of the Campania Region between July and October 2020. Our investigation has detected that the infection is more frequent in males, and the number of male patients hospitalized in ICU is also higher than females, with a large proportion of hypertensive patients. Extensive prospective studies are required to confirm this finding and explore the mechanisms for which hypertensive males are exposed to a higher proportion of admission to ICU and higher case fatality rates.

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How to Cite

Ciarambino, T., Ilardi, A., Giannico, O. V., Maffettone, A., Ciaburri, F., Delli Paoli, V., Fontanella, A., Tirelli, P., Bologna, C., Gallucci, F., Visconti, M., Caruso, D., Amitrano, M., Giordano, M., & D’Avino, M. (2021). Gender differences in COVID-19 patients: a regional survey among physicians of Internal Medicine Wards. Italian Journal of Medicine, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2021.1443
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