A study has been exploring the long-term effects of COVID-19 on older adults.
It found that one third of older adults developed new symptoms after having COVID-19.
Increased cases of ‘broken heart syndrome’ during pandemic
Who counts as an older adult?
This study used data from participants who are 65 or older. The researchers analyzed health insurance records of 133,366 older adults in the United States. The participants had to of been diagnosed with COVID-19 before April 1, 2020.
The researchers kept finding new conditions at least three weeks after each diagnosis.
Who does long COVID impact the most?
What are the risks?
The study found that some of the greatest risks are:
- respiratory failure
- fatigue
- high blood pressure
- memory issues
- kidney injury
- mental health-related diagnoses
- hypercoagulability
- cardiac rhythm disorders
This information is important because it provides insight on what we may need long term for COVID-19 treatments.
The study however, was limited by using claims data. Asking patients about their symptoms instead of studying billing and administrative data would be an improvement.
Future research will likely look into how vaccination status has an impact.
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