LONG COVID has been found to be more common among people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) than among matched controls, according to a large US analysis, which has also linked specific treatments and clinical factors to a higher risk of developing the condition.<\/p>\n
Long COVID in Rheumatic Disease<\/p>\n
Long COVID has remained a significant concern since the pandemic, and patients with AIRD, including those receiving immunomodulatory therapy, have become a group of particular interest. Before this study, little was known about the prevalence of Long COVID in people with autoimmune rheumatic diseases or about the factors associated with it.<\/p>\n
How Was the Cohort Assembled?<\/p>\n
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Clinical Cohort Collaborative (N3C). Adults with a first documented SARS-CoV-2 infection (September 2021\u2013December 2023) were included, with follow-up through December 2024.<\/p>\n
Long COVID was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification code U09.9, or a Long COVID clinic visit occurring 28\u2013365 days after first infection.<\/p>\n
Patients with AIRD were compared with matched controls without AIRD using 1:1 nearest-neighbour propensity score matching on age, with exact matching on sex, race\/ethnicity, SARS-CoV-2 variant-dominant period and data-contributing organisation.<\/p>\n
Which Patients Faced Higher Risk?<\/p>\n
In the matched cohort of 187,106 patients, Long COVID occurred in 2.8% of patients with AIRD and 1.5% of patients without AIRD.<\/p>\n
In multivariable analyses, AIRD was associated with an increased risk of Long COVID compared with non-AIRD status (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.45\u20131.67).<\/p>\n
Among patients with AIRD, higher acute COVID-19 severity, pulmonary disease, obesity, and exposure to rituximab or glucocorticoids were associated with an increased risk of Long COVID.<\/p>\n
Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s syndrome was also associated with a higher risk of Long COVID.<\/p>\n
What Should Clinicians Consider Next?<\/p>\n
The higher risk of Long COVID among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases has highlighted the need to identify potential risk factors in this population to minimise long-term effects. Clinicians should remain alert to Long COVID in patients with higher-risk features, while further research is needed to confirm these associations.<\/p>\n
Reference<\/p>\n
Singh N et al. Higher risk of Long COVID among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and immunomodulatory therapy: a retrospective cohort analysis of national US data. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2026;DOI:10.1002\/art.70361.<\/p>\n
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