COVID-19 Raises Risk of MACE up to 3 Years Later: Daily Dose

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On October 7, 2024, we reported on findings from a study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology that examined the duration and underlying determinants of heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) post–COVID-19.

The study

Investigators identified 10 005 individuals from the UK Biobank with either a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 or a hospital-based ICD-10 code for COVID-19 between February 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Vaccinated individuals were excluded from the analysis.

Risk for MACE (including myocardial infarction, stroke, or all-cause mortality) following infection and hospitalization in the cohort was compared to risk among population controls already in the UK Biobank who never received a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 or were never assigned a COVID-19 ICD-10 code during the study period (n = 217 730) and another propensity-matched cohort (n = 38 860) to reduce confounding due to preexisting risk factors.

The findings

The risk of MACE was more than 2-times higher among those who had COVID-19 and nearly 4-times greater among those hospitalized with COVID-19 compared with individuals with no history of COVID-19 infection during the nearly 3-year follow-up, researchers reported.

Investigators also observed a significant genetic interaction between the ABO locus and hospitalization for COVID-19 (P_interaction = .01), with the risk of thrombotic events higher among individuals with non-O blood types (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.29-2.09; P = .000048 compared with those with blood type O (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.66-1.39; P = .82; P_interaction = .01).

Authors' comment

"Hospitalization for COVID-19 represents a coronary artery disease risk equivalent, with post–acute myocardial infarction and stroke risk particularly heightened in non-O blood types."

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