Peripheral Neuropathy in Long-COVID Patients: Demographic Distribution and Risk Factors
Jason Li1, Camden Bohn1, Noah Todd1, Jessica Pater2, Jeanne Carroll2, Brian Henriksen1, Fen-Lei Chang2
1Indiana University School of Medicine, 2Parkview Health
Objective:
To examine the demographic distribution and risk factors in long-COVID patients developing new-onset or progressing peripheral neuropathy (PN).
Background:
Neurologic symptoms following acute-phase COVID are common. Incidence of PN has been shown to be higher in long-COVID patients compared to influenza patients and the general population for reasons not well understood. This is a novel study on the risk factors of both new-onset and progressing long-COVID PN and may guide future studies on etiology and clinical management.
Design/Methods:
Electronic health records of patients who visited a multi-disciplinary post-COVID clinic (PCC) between March 2021 and September 2022 were reviewed. Patients were categorized into four groups: new-onset PN group had new PCC or EMG PN diagnosis following COVID infection; progressing PN group had both new and pre-existing diagnoses relative to infection; non-progressing PN group had pre-existing but no new diagnosis; non-PN group had never received a diagnosis. Demographics, BMI, prior COVID vaccination, chronic comorbidities, and medications were studied.
Results:
Of 639 patients, 21(3.29%) had new-onset PN, 20(3.13%) had progressing PN, and 31(4.85%) had non-progressing PN. Patients with new-onset PN were older (55.5±13.2 vs. 50.3±14.0, p=0.047), more male (47.6% vs 26.1%, p=0.029), and more likely been hospitalized for COVID (47.6% vs 22.4%, p=0.007) compared with non-PN patients. Patients with progressing PN were older (65.5±9.2 vs 50.3±14.0, p<0.001), more likely to have diabetes (35.0% vs 15.0%, p=0.016) and hypertension (70.0% vs 34.3%, p<0.001) and take some form of diabetes medication (30.0% vs 14.1%, p=0.048) and hypertension medication (65.0% vs 39.0%, p=0.019) compared to patients with no PN. Patients with progressing PN were older (65.5±9.14 vs 57.0±11.85, p=0.050) than non-progressing PN patients.
Conclusions:
Older age was associated with new-onset and progressing PN in long-COVID patients. This and other associated findings provide further opportunities to study possible contribution of immunological, metabolic, and degenerative factors to long-COVID neurologic symptoms.