The Association Between Lifestyle Risk Factors and Long COVID Syndrome in Outpatient Clinic Chiang Rai Regional Hospital, Chiang Rai

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of long COVID syndrome in the outpatient clinic of Chiang Rai Regional Hospital and to identify lifestyle risk factors and biometric parameters in patients with non-communicable and other common illnesses who are at increased risk of developing long COVID syndrome. Methods: Accurate data were collected from outpatients previously infected with COVID-19 through a cross-sectional case-control study conducted between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024. The data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test and Fisher’s Exact test, in combination with binary logistic regression. A p-value of less 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that did not include 1 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 317 patients who were previously infected with COVID 19 virus were obtained from the study, 156 people were found to have long COVID syndrome. The prevalence of long COVID syndrome was 49.2%. The demographic characteristic and lifestyle risk factors for long COVID syndrome are patients with, hypertension, has a significantly higher risk of developing long COVID syndrome compare to the general population ( OR 2.55) ,Skipping breakfast (OR2.48), Using electronic cigarette more than 6 month (OR 5.3),Consume fewer than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (OR 4.54),(OR 4.50), drinking more than 3 days per week (OR 3.35), exercise less than 3 times per week (OR 5.56), sleeping time less than 4 hrs. per day (OR 5.80), sleeping time 5-6 hrs. per day (OR 4.36), received fewer than 4 doses of the vaccine (OR 1.76),contracted COVID 19 more than once (OR 5.14),  Treated with the antiviral drug Molnupiravir (OR 10.40), HbA1C >7mg/dl (OR 2.08), Triglyceride >250 mg/dl (OR 1.61), Systolic blood pressure > 140mmHg (OR 9.70), Thai CV risk score > 10% (OR 3.30),Chest X-ray finding classified as RAMA Co-RADS 3 or higher(11.20)  have limited data, making it premature to draw conclusions. Conclusion: The concept of lifestyle Medicine have a benefit to promote heath in Thai people to reduced the Morbidity and Mortality from NCD and non NCD people which has a strong potential to reduce the risk of long COVID syndrome in patients who infected by SARS-CoV-2 and improve the of long-term care outcome in this group of patient in Ministry of Public Health in Thailand. In patients with NCD who were infected with COVID-19, capable to control HbA1C, serum triglyceride level, proper systolic blood pressure, reducing the Thai cardiovascular risk score below 5% have shown that lower the risks of long COVID syndrome too.