A large study from Stockholm has found that people diagnosed with long COVID may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, even if their initial COVID-19 infection was not severe. The findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring of these patients in routine clinical care.
The study used healthcare data from more than 1.2 million adults. Researchers identified individuals aged 18–65 years with a physician-diagnosed long COVID condition and compared them with people without long COVID. Patients with prior heart disease or severe COVID-19 requiring hospitalization were excluded.
Around 9,000 individuals were diagnosed with long COVID. Over time, cardiovascular events were more common in this group. Nearly one in five women with long COVID experienced a cardiovascular event, compared with fewer than one in ten women without long COVID. Similar patterns were seen in men.
After accounting for other risk factors such as age, obesity, hypertension, and mental health conditions, long COVID remained linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The strongest association was seen for cardiac arrhythmias. Risk of coronary artery disease was also higher in both men and women.
Importantly, the study was based on physician-recorded diagnoses using standard ICD-10 codes across primary and specialist care. This means the findings reflect real-world clinical diagnoses rather than self-reported symptoms.
The study highlights the importance of considering cardiovascular risk in patients with long COVID. Although diagnosis of heart disease relies on clinical assessment, laboratory tests – such as cardiac biomarkers and lipid profiles – may support evaluation and follow-up.
The study also points to challenges in diagnosing long COVID itself. The condition was identified using a single diagnostic code, which may not capture all patients and may be used differently across healthcare settings.
Overall, the findings suggest that long COVID may be linked to increased cardiovascular risk, even in patients who were not hospitalized. This supports the need for continued clinical awareness and structured follow-up in this patient group.
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