Objective: To determine absolute and relative risks of either symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection for late cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective double-cohort study of patients with either symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection [COVID-19(+) cohort] and its documented absence [COVID-19(-) cohort]. The study investigators drew a simple random sample of records from all Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Healthcare patients (N=65,585) with available COVID-19 test results, performed 03.01.2020 - 09.13.2020. Exclusion criteria were age < 18y and no established OHSU care. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. All-cause mortality was the secondary outcome.
Results: The study population included 1355 patients (mean age 48.7 ± 20.5 y; 770(57%) female, 977(72%) white non-Hispanic; 1072(79%) insured; 563(42%) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) history). During a median 6 months at risk, the primary composite outcome was observed in 38/319 (12%) COVID-19(+) and 65/1036 (6%) COVID-19(-) patients (p=0.001). In Cox regression adjusted for demographics, health insurance, and reason for COVID-19 testing, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with the risk of the primary composite outcome (HR 1.71; 95%CI 1.06-2.78; p=0.029). Inverse-probability-weighted estimation, conditioned for 31 covariates, showed that for every COVID-19(+) patient, the average time to all-cause death was 65.5 days less than when all these patients were COVID-19(-): average treatment effect on the treated -65.5 (95%CI -125.4 to -5.61) days; p=0.032.
Conclusions: Either symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased risk of late cardiovascular outcomes and has a causal effect on all-cause mortality in a late post-COVID-19 period.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.