Prevalence and Determinant of Long-term Post-COVID Conditions Among Stroke Survivors in the United States

Abstract

BACKGROUNDPersistent post-COVID conditions (PCCs) have become inevitable challenges for individuals who have survived COVID. The National Research Plan on Long COVID-19 underscores the priority of addressing post-COVID conditions (PCCs) within specific subgroups of the United States (US) population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with PCCs among stroke survivors in the US. METHODIn this retrospective cross-sectional study, we utilized the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2022 dataset. First, we identified respondents with a positive history of both COVID-19 and stroke. Subsequently, we categorized these respondents based on whether they experienced PCCs and conducted a comparative analysis of their characteristics. Additionally, our study included a comparison of our findings with those among individuals who have survived myocardial infarction (MI) and cancer. RESULTSA total of 3999 stroke, 5406 MI, and 10551 cancer survivors were included. The estimated prevalence of PCCs among stroke survivors was 30.6%, compared to 22.4%, 29.2%, and 24.6% among non-stroke (p<0.001), MI, and cancer survivors, respectively. Fatigue, dyspnea, and taste/smell loss were the most common primary symptoms. In multivariate regression analysis, female sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR):1.62, 95%CI:[1.17-2.24]), stroke-belt residence (aOR:1.67, 95%CI: [1.13-2.46]), pulmonary disease (aOR:2.12, 95%CI:[1.53-2.92]), and depression (aOR:1.55, 95%CI: [1.1-2.2]) were independent factors associated with higher odds of PCCs among stroke survivors. Additionally, age above 64 years was associated with lower odds of PCCs (aOR:0.6, 95%CI: [0.41-0.86]). CONCLUSIONOur study highlights a considerable prevalence of PCCs among stroke survivors, particularly among younger women and individuals with other chronic conditions.