Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY
IntroductionLimited data are available on long-term morbidity and mortality after hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this registry-based study, we investigated long-term mortality and morbidity following hospitalization for COVID-19 and examined associations with baseline me...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1565677/full |
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| author | Alexandra Graf Berthold Reichardt Christine Wagenlechner Christine Wagenlechner Pavla Krotka Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Michael Mildner Julia Mascherbauer Clemens Aigner Johann Auer Ralph Wendt Hendrik J. Ankersmit Hendrik J. Ankersmit |
| author_facet | Alexandra Graf Berthold Reichardt Christine Wagenlechner Christine Wagenlechner Pavla Krotka Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Michael Mildner Julia Mascherbauer Clemens Aigner Johann Auer Ralph Wendt Hendrik J. Ankersmit Hendrik J. Ankersmit |
| author_sort | Alexandra Graf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionLimited data are available on long-term morbidity and mortality after hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this registry-based study, we investigated long-term mortality and morbidity following hospitalization for COVID-19 and examined associations with baseline medication load.MethodsData were provided by the Austrian Health Insurance Funds on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2020 and matched controls. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included mortality conditional on survival of initial COVID-19 hospitalization and re-hospitalization.ResultsThe median follow-up was 600 days. A total of 22,571 patients aged >18 were hospitalized in Austria in 2020 due to COVID-19. The risk of mortality was significantly higher with polypharmacy. With the exception of the youngest age group (19–40 years), patients receiving antiepileptics, antipsychotics, or iron supplements, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, vitamin B12, or folic acid in the year before hospitalization were significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality (all p < 0.001). For patients with prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other anti-inflammatory drugs, significantly increased survival was observed (all p-values <0.001). Patients had a higher medication load than the control population. Long-term mortality and the risk of re-hospitalization for any reason were also significantly higher among patients.DiscussionAntipsychotics and antidepressants appear to be underrecognized in identifying patients at risk for severe outcomes after hospitalization for COVID-19. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3bec3178ceb84ffb8e8edbaea22eff4e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-3bec3178ceb84ffb8e8edbaea22eff4e2025-08-20T02:22:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-06-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15656771565677Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDYAlexandra Graf0Berthold Reichardt1Christine Wagenlechner2Christine Wagenlechner3Pavla Krotka4Denise Traxler-Weidenauer5Denise Traxler-Weidenauer6Denise Traxler-Weidenauer7Michael Mildner8Julia Mascherbauer9Clemens Aigner10Johann Auer11Ralph Wendt12Hendrik J. Ankersmit13Hendrik J. Ankersmit14Center for Medical Data Science, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaAustrian Social Health Insurance Fund, Eisenstadt, AustriaCenter for Medical Data Science, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaClinic of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaClinic of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaClinic of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLaboratory for Cardiac and Thoracic Diagnosis, Regeneration and Applied Immunology, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaClinic of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital St. Poelten, St. Poelten, AustriaClinic of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Internal Medicine I with Cardiology and Intensive Care, St. Josef Hospital Braunau, Braunau am Inn, AustriaDepartment of Nephrology, Hospital St. Georg Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyClinic of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLaboratory for Cardiac and Thoracic Diagnosis, Regeneration and Applied Immunology, Vienna, AustriaIntroductionLimited data are available on long-term morbidity and mortality after hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this registry-based study, we investigated long-term mortality and morbidity following hospitalization for COVID-19 and examined associations with baseline medication load.MethodsData were provided by the Austrian Health Insurance Funds on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2020 and matched controls. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes included mortality conditional on survival of initial COVID-19 hospitalization and re-hospitalization.ResultsThe median follow-up was 600 days. A total of 22,571 patients aged >18 were hospitalized in Austria in 2020 due to COVID-19. The risk of mortality was significantly higher with polypharmacy. With the exception of the youngest age group (19–40 years), patients receiving antiepileptics, antipsychotics, or iron supplements, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, vitamin B12, or folic acid in the year before hospitalization were significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality (all p < 0.001). For patients with prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other anti-inflammatory drugs, significantly increased survival was observed (all p-values <0.001). Patients had a higher medication load than the control population. Long-term mortality and the risk of re-hospitalization for any reason were also significantly higher among patients.DiscussionAntipsychotics and antidepressants appear to be underrecognized in identifying patients at risk for severe outcomes after hospitalization for COVID-19.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1565677/fullCOVID-19 hospitalizationall-cause mortalitypolypharmacybaseline medication loadreadmissionregistry-based observational study |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra Graf Berthold Reichardt Christine Wagenlechner Christine Wagenlechner Pavla Krotka Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Denise Traxler-Weidenauer Michael Mildner Julia Mascherbauer Clemens Aigner Johann Auer Ralph Wendt Hendrik J. Ankersmit Hendrik J. Ankersmit Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 hospitalization all-cause mortality polypharmacy baseline medication load readmission registry-based observational study |
| title | Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY |
| title_full | Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY |
| title_fullStr | Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY |
| title_short | Baseline medication load and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the AUTCOVSTUDY |
| title_sort | baseline medication load and long term outcomes in covid 19 hospitalized patients results of the autcovstudy |
| topic | COVID-19 hospitalization all-cause mortality polypharmacy baseline medication load readmission registry-based observational study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1565677/full |
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