Patients With IBD at Increased Risk for CVD, Renal Complications After COVID-19

Following COVID-19, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and thrombotic and renal complications compared with matched non-IBD patients, according to study results presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2022 Annual Meeting, held from October 21 to 26, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and virtually.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with increased risk for CVD and renal complications. Little is known about the IBD-specific risk associated with COVID-19.

To evaluate risk among the IBD population, data for this study were sourced from the TriNetX database. One-year risk for cardiac complications and kidney injury were assessed among patients with IBD and patients without IBD using a propensity matching approach to balance for cohort differences.

Following COVID-19 infection, IBD was associated with increased risk for ischemic stroke (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI, 1.74-2.38), venous thromboembolism (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.53-2.04), peripheral artery disease (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.34-12.15), cardiac complications (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.33-1.73), and acute kidney injury (aOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.14-1.58) compared with controls.

Stratified by vaccination status, risk for complications was similar between the IBD and control cohorts among individuals who had received 2 or more vaccine doses.

Among the IBD cohort, stratified by disease status, individuals with active disease were at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (aOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.22-1.99), cardiac complications (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.006-1.61), and acute kidney injury (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.05-1.90).

Stratified by medication, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), immunomodulator, non-TNFi, and steroid recipients were not associated with differing risk for any of the outcomes compared with 5-aminosasilyc acid recipients.

“Patients with IBD who are unvaccinated or with active disease are at an increased risk for CVD, thrombotic and renal complications after COVID-19,” the study authors wrote. “These patients may benefit from close follow up and aggressive CVD risk factor modification.”

Disclosure: Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.