The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 diagnosis and the risk of developing a first-ever vascular event (VE) compared with the same risk in those with respiratory tract infection (RTI).
Study design
This was a retrospective cohort study.
Methods
This study using data from Disease Analyzer Database (IQVIA) included patients aged ≥18 years with at least one visit to a German practice during the index period. VEs were defined as cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events. Two cohorts were created: patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and those diagnosed with RTI. These were matched using propensity scores. Kaplan–Meier curves were created for the purposes of time to event analysis. A Poisson model was used to calculate incidence rates and derive incidence rate ratios (IRRs).
Results
A total of 58,904 patients were matched. There was no significant association between COVID-19 diagnosis and increased incidence of VE events among females (IRR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.96 [0.82–1.11] and 1.30 [0.88–1.81]) or males (IRR, 95% CI: 0.91 [0.78–1.05] and 1.13 [0.80–1.62]). Overall, no significant association between COVID-19 diagnosis and incidence of VE was observed across age categories except for cardiovascular vascular events in the age category ≥70 years (IRR [95% CI]: 0.78 [0.67–0.94]).
Conclusions
Overall, our study suggests that COVID-19 diagnosis was not associated with an increased risk of developing VE compared with RTI diagnosis. However, further research in a variety of healthcare settings and regions is needed to confirm these preliminary findings from our cohort, which is a good reflection of routine clinical practice in Germany.
