Elevance Health: Long Covid Patients Are at Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Problems, Mortality

Those who experience long Covid are more likely to battle cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions and face mortality, a new study shows.

The study, published last week in JAMA Health Forum, was conducted by researchers at Elevance Health Public Policy Institute. Elevance Health is an insurance provider. The researchers analyzed utilization claims data for 13,435 adults with long Covid and 26,870 adults with no Covid-19 symptoms for at least 18 months. The study analyzed patients over a 12-month period.

The researchers found that compared to those without long Covid, the long Covid group was:

• 2.35 times more likely to experience cardiac arrhythmia 
• 2.17 times more likely to experience ischemic stroke 
• 1.97 times more likely to experience heart failure
• 1.78 times more likely to experience coronary artery disease
• 3.64 times more likely to experience pulmonary embolism
• 1.95 times more likely to experience moderate to severe asthma
• 1.94 times more likely to experience chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

In addition, the study found higher mortality among the long Covid group: 2.8% of those with long Covid died, compared to 1.2% of those without long Covid.

“We know from published literature that long Covid can result in fatigue, headache and attention disorder,” said Andrea DeVries, PhD, staff vice president for health services research at Elevance Health and the lead author of the study, in a news release. “While those conditions are concerning, the results from this study point to even more worrisome outcomes that can severely impact quality and length of life for individuals with long Covid.”

The researchers also discovered that most, or 72.5%, of the long Covid patients were not hospitalized during the acute phase of Covid-19. Many of the conditions caused by long Covid will likely last for life, they added.

Elevance Health’s report discovered much higher mortality rates than previous studies. This is likely due to “a focus on [post-Covid-19 condition], the ability to evaluate data comprehensively across all care settings, comprehensive mortality information, and a 12-month follow-up period,” the study stated. Post-Covid-19 condition refers to long Covid.

The findings from this report show the need for more support for long Covid patients, said Jennifer Kowalski, vice president of the Elevance Health Public Policy Institute.

“While we have made impressive strides in our ability to prevent and treat Covid-19, this study points to the need for care management programs like those developed by Elevance Health to better identify and help individuals at high risk for long Covid,” Kowalski said in a statement. “From a policy perspective, these results can inform understanding of future health care utilization, labor force participation and analysis of public program spending and outcomes.”

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