Author:
Lee Su Kyoung,Lim Yohwan,Jeong Seogsong,Han Hyun Wook
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide, with CVD and post-acute COVID-19 associated CVD increasing. It remains unknown whether COVID-19 patients with weight gain are at a high risk for CVD events. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between weight control and the risk of CVD following COVID-19.
Methods
The study included 2,024,728 adults who participated in two rounds of health screening between 2017 and 2020. The final cohort, which included 70,996 participants in the COVID-19 group and 212,869 participants in the control group. The adjusted hazard ratio of BMI change to CVD risk was calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression.
Results
We identified a total of 2869 cases of CVD (861 events for COVID-19 group and 2,008 events for the control group). Compared to individuals with a stable BMI, COVID-19 patients without obesity had an increased risk of CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–4.53; p-value = 0.018). Additionally, non-COVID-19 patients with obesity also exhibited a higher risk of CVD (aHR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01–2.47; p-value = 0.046).
Conclusion
In conclusion, people who gained weight during the pandemic, regardless of their weight category, had a significantly higher risk of CVD associated with COVID-19 compared to those who maintained their weight before the pandemic.
Funder
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
National IT Industry Promotion Agency
Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC