COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cardiometabolic Markers in Adults in Chongqing, China: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

The influx of COVID-19 infection and government-enforced lockdowns and social isolation changed people's lifestyles. Concerns regarding the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the new sedentary lifestyle. This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular health factors. A retrospective observational study was conducted using historical medical records. The cohort consisted of healthy adults (without chronic non-communicable diseases) over 18 years of age who have undertaken a health examination at the Chongqing Medical University from 2019 to 2020. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test was used to compare variables between 2019 and 2020. The effect of exposure time to COVID-19 on cardiometabolic markers was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. 29,773 participants took part in this study. The average age was 42.5 ± 13.44 years at baseline, and the average follow-up period was 12.7 ± 2.8 months. Analysis showed that weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR, fasting blood glucose, TG, LDL, uric acid, and liver enzymes increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic (P < 0.05). This study showed evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures negatively impacted cardiometabolic profiles.