Case studies on patients who have contracted the new coronavirus have found that older patients and people with preexisting health conditions more commonly develop severe symptoms.

According to a report on patient characteristics from Italy's National Institute of Health released on March 17, 99% of COVID-19 patients who have died in the country had at least one preexisting condition.

Different preexisting conditions — including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease — were found at varying rates among the patients who have died.

In Italy, 76.1% of patients who died from COVID-19 had hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Nearly half of all Americans have some level of high blood pressure, meaning they may be more susceptible to some of the more dangerous effects of the coronavirus.

While experts aren't confident about why people with poor cardiovascular health are at a higher risk of dying from the virus, doctors believe that the strain COVID-19 puts on the lungs may burden the heart as well.

People with heart issues may also have weaker immune systems, and the virus could have a negative effect on those with plaque in their arteries, according to the American Heart Association.