Whether post-COVID-19 changes in Cardiometabolic Disease Staging (CMDS) scores—calculated from BMI, glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides up to 3 years before and after infection—were associated with the odds of developing Long COVID in a retrospective longitudinal cohort of 6,364 patients.
Patients whose CMDS score increased after COVID-19 infection had 1.36-fold higher odds of Long COVID (OR 1.36; 95% CI: 1.08–1.71), significant even after adjusting for social determinants of health and comorbidities; 6.9% of the cohort met Long COVID criteria.
Retrospective design limits causal inference; Long COVID was defined by ICD-10 codes or self-reported symptom interference, which may misclassify cases; the cohort was 67% White with a mean age of 57, limiting generalizability to more diverse or younger populations.
Monitor cardiometabolic markers (BMI, glucose, blood pressure, lipids) after COVID-19 infection—patients whose cardiometabolic burden worsens post-infection are at meaningfully higher risk for Long COVID and may benefit from closer follow-up and early intervention.
