Exploring the incidence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease following COVID-19 infection: A retrospective cohort...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis, often linked to cerebrovascular disease.
• Understanding the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 infection is crucial for public health.
• The potential link between COVID-19 and subsequent vascular complications requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between COVID-19 infection and the development of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study utilizing the TriNetX analytics platform.
• Matched cohorts of COVID-19 infected and non-infected individuals (2,206,065 each).
• Cox proportional hazard regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to assess PAOD incidence and cumulative probability.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients showed a significantly higher incidence of PAOD at 3-month (HR: 1.27) and 12-month (HR: 1.33) follow-ups.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a higher cumulative probability of PAOD in the COVID-19 group (p < 0.001).
• Increased PAOD risk was observed across different age, sex, and race subgroups within the COVID-19 cohort.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 infection is strongly associated with an increased incidence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).
• The findings suggest a significant long-term vascular risk following COVID-19.
• Further research into the mechanisms underlying this association is warranted.