{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Long COVID has been associated with elevated risks of individual chronic conditions, but its association with the transition to multimorbidity remains unclear. This study aims to examine whether retrospective COVID-19 status was associated with incident multimorbidity among U.S. adults. Methods: We analyzed Panel 24 of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS; 2019-2022), including 4356 individuals free of multimorbidity at baseline. COVID-19 exposure was classified as Long COVID, COVID-19-recovered, or no COVID-19. Survey-weighted logistic regression estimated associations between retrospective COVID-19 status and incident cross-domain multimorbidity, and generalized estimating equations assessed healthcare expenditures, health-related quality of life, and inpatient utilization. Results: Incident MM occurred in 106 participants: 17 with Long COVID, 41 COVID-19-recovered, and 48 with no COVID-19. In the primary model (4239 participants; 105 events), Long COVID was associated with higher odds of incident MM than no COVID-19 (OR 2.34; 95% CI, 1.14-4.79); the estimate for COVID-19-recovered participants was OR 1.71 (95% CI, 1.01-2.92). Fully adjusted and Firth estimates were directionally consistent. Cardiometabolic plus respiratory MM predominated (79/106). COVID-status-by-year interactions were not significant for total expenditures, out-of-pocket expenditures, physical or mental health scores, or inpatient stays. Conclusions: Retrospectively classified Long COVID was associated with incident cross-domain MM recorded during follow-up, but temporal ordering cannot be established, and sparse events limit precision. Replication with prospectively timed exposure and diagnosis data is needed.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Science, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA.",
    "Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ibrahim Alliu",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-9160-4367"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Gulzar Shah",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0954-3418"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Subash Thapa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Emmanuel Azu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0225-4077"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Timothy Kizza",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-8156-2671"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Logan Cowan"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dtsa1z6s0fgdj.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/healthcare14203427",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704596",
  "id": "dtsa1z6s0fgdj",
  "issns": [
    "2227-9032"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940472",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Long-Term Effects of COVID-19"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221758069",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704596?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13704596",
  "pmid": "42940472",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dtsa1z6s0fgdj.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42940472",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940472"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2728|Long-Term Effects of COVID-19",
      "subfield": "neurology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Long COVID and Incident Multimorbidity in the United States: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study.",
  "title_text": "Long COVID and Incident Multimorbidity in the United States: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dtsa1z6s0fgdj",
  "venue": "Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}