Infectious Disease Advisor The presence of long COVID symptoms after infection with SARS-CoV-2 is strongly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in United States adults, according to study results presented at IDWeek 2025, held from October 19 to 22, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Cardiovascular conditions are a well-established part of long COVID, but the specific factors involved in the association have not been fully explored.
Researchers evaluated the association between long COVID and CVD in adults using nationally representative data from the 2022 to 2023 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2022 to 2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Long COVID was defined as having self-reported COVID-19 symptoms that lasted beyond 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presence of CVD was based on self-reported diagnoses of coronary heart disease, angina, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular disease.