Long COVID May Raise Cardiovascular Risk - Summary - MDSpire

Long COVID May Raise Cardiovascular Risk

Population-based cohort shows higher rates of cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease following nonhospitalized infections, with sex-specific differences.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • April 9, 2026

  • 3 min

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Objective:

To investigate the association between long COVID and the risk of incident cardiovascular disease in patients without prior cardiovascular conditions.

Approach:
    Key Findings:
    • Patients with long COVID had a higher cumulative incidence of cardiovascular events (18.2% vs 8.4% in women; 20.6% vs 11.1% in men).
    • Long COVID was associated with a 2.06 greater likelihood of composite cardiovascular events in women and 1.33 in men.
    • Cardiac arrhythmias had the strongest association, with a 3.11 greater likelihood in women and 1.61 in men.
    • Increased likelihood of coronary artery disease (1.25 in women, 1.26 in men) and heart failure (1.25 in women) was noted.
    • Long COVID was not associated with stroke in either sex.
    Interpretation:

    Long COVID significantly increases the risk of various cardiovascular diseases, particularly in women, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and management of cardiovascular health in these patients.

    Limitations:
    • Potential underdiagnosis of milder long COVID cases early in the pandemic.
    • Reliance on physician-assigned diagnostic codes.
    • Possible detection bias due to increased healthcare use.
    • Residual confounding from unmeasured factors like vaccination status and reinfection.
    Conclusion:

    Long COVID is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, especially for cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.

    Sources:

Original Source(s)

Long COVID May Raise Cardiovascular Risk

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • April 9, 2026

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