You will be shown a claim related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the abstract of a biomedical research paper. Each sentence from the abstract will be on a separate line. Your task is to return a JSON object with two fields:

- "verdict": The fact-checking verdict. If the information in the abstract supports the claim, write "SUPPORT". If the abstract contradicts the claim, write "CONTRADICT".
- "evidence": An array of sentences providing evidence for the verdict. Please copy all relevant sentences verbatim from the abstract.

For instance, if the model were given the claim "the COVID vaccine is safe for healthy adults", the output might be
{
  "verdict": "SUPPORT",
  "evidence": ["Our findings indicate that the risks of severe COVID vaccine side effects are low for healthy adults."]
}

Claim: Pre-existing cardiovascular disease rather than cardiovascular risk factors drives mortality in covid-19

Abstract:
Background The association between cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes, established CV disease (CVD), and susceptibility to CV complications or mortality in COVID-19 remains unclear.
Methods We conducted a cohort study of consecutive adults hospitalised for severe COVID-19 between 1st March and 30th June 2020.
Pre-existing CVD, CV risk factors and associations with mortality and CV complications were ascertained.
Findings Among 1,721 patients (median age 71 years, 57% male), 349 (20.3%) had pre-existing CVD (CVD), 888 (51.6%) had CV risk factors without CVD (RF-CVD), 484 (28.1%) had neither.
Patients with CVD were older with a higher burden of non-CV comorbidities.
During follow-up, 438 (25.5%) patients died: 37% with CVD, 25.7% with RF-CVD and 16.5% with neither.
CVD was independently associated with in-hospital mortality among patients <70 years of age (adjusted HR 2.43 [95%CI 1.16-5.07]), but not in those [≥]70 years (aHR 1.14 [95%CI 0.77-1.69]).
RF-CVD were not independently associated with mortality in either age group (<70y aHR 1.21 [95%CI 0.72-2.01], [≥]70y aHR 1.07 [95%CI 0.76-1.52]).
Most CV complications occurred in patients with CVD (66%) versus RF-CVD (17%) or neither (11%; p<0.001).
213 [12.4%] patients developed venous thromboembolism (VTE).
CVD was not an independent predictor of VTE.
Interpretation In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, pre-existing established CVD appears to be a more important contributor to mortality than CV risk factors in the absence of CVD.
CVD-related hazard may be mediated, in part, by new CV complications.
Optimal care and vigilance for destabilised CVD are essential in this patient group.
{"verdict": "SUPPORT", "evidence": ["Pre-existing CVD, CV risk factors and associations with mortality and CV complications were ascertained.", "Interpretation In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, pre-existing established CVD appears to be a more important contributor to mortality than CV risk factors in the absence of CVD."]}