Risk factors for long COVID syndrome in postmenopausal women with previously reported diagnosis of COVID-19, Neuhouser et al,2024

Abstract
Purpose
Long COVID-19 syndrome occurs in 10-20% of people after a confirmed/probable SARS-COV-2 infection; new symptoms begin within three months of COVID-19 diagnosis and last >8 weeks. Little is known about risk factors for long COVID, particularly in older people who are at greater risk of COVID complications.

Methods
Data are from Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) postmenopausal women who completed COVID surveys that included questions on whether they had ever been diagnosed with COVID and length and nature of symptoms. Long COVID was classified using standard consensus criteria. Using WHI demographic and health data collected at study enrollment (1993-98) through the present day, machine learning identified the top 20 risk factors for long COVID. These variables were tested in logistic regression models.

Results
Of n=37,280 survey respondents, 1,237 (mean age = 83 years) reported a positive COVID-19 test and 425 (30%) reported long COVID. Symptoms included an array of neurological, cardio-pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and general fatigue, and malaise symptoms. Long COVID risk factors included weight loss, physical and mobility limitations, and specific heath conditions (e.g., history of heart valve procedure, rheumatoid arthritis).

Conclusions
Knowledge of risk factors for long COVID may be the first step in understanding the etiology of this complex disease.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S104727972400214X

 

Cidrap
New studies estimate long-COVID rates, identify risk factors

quote:
New survey data from the landmark Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reveal that 34% of postmenopausal women infected with COVID-19 had symptoms lasting at least 8 weeks, while a separate 2-year telemedicine study shows that 84% and 61% of all infected patients still had symptoms 1 and 2 years later, respectively.

 

Good to see studies on additional demographics than Al-Aly's data from Veteran's Affairs, where the average person is a white male in his 60s. We need more of this.

From the Cidrap-article:
Nearly all respondents (91%) were White, and no differences between race and long-COVID status were observed.