Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The risk of cardiovascular events following community-acquired sepsis : a nationwide cohort study in Sweden

Wetterberg, Hanna LU orcid ; Nilsson, Anton LU ; Linder, Adam LU ; Lengquist, Maria LU orcid ; Frigyesi, Attila LU ; Sundén-Cullberg, Jonas and Inghammar, Malin LU (2026) In Epidemiology and Infection 154. p.1-7
Abstract

In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the long-term risk of major cardiovascular events following intensive care unit (ICU) treatment for community-acquired sepsis and septic shock, compared to the general population. We included 20313 adults admitted to Swedish ICUs between 2008 and 2019, identified through national healthcare registries, and matched each case to 20 randomly selected population controls. Entropy balancing adjusted for baseline co-morbidities, healthcare utilization, and socio-demographics. The association between sepsis and subsequent cardiovascular events (hospitalizations or deaths due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cerebral infarction) was analysed using Cox proportional hazards models. Sepsis... (More)

In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the long-term risk of major cardiovascular events following intensive care unit (ICU) treatment for community-acquired sepsis and septic shock, compared to the general population. We included 20313 adults admitted to Swedish ICUs between 2008 and 2019, identified through national healthcare registries, and matched each case to 20 randomly selected population controls. Entropy balancing adjusted for baseline co-morbidities, healthcare utilization, and socio-demographics. The association between sepsis and subsequent cardiovascular events (hospitalizations or deaths due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cerebral infarction) was analysed using Cox proportional hazards models. Sepsis was associated with increased cardiovascular risk, particularly during the first year (days 0-30 adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 6.1 (95% CI 4.7-7.9); days 31-90; aHR 2.4 (95% CI 1.8-3.2); days 91-365 aHR 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.6)), with risk persisting through years 2-5 (aHRs 1.1-1.3). Heart failure risk remained elevated across all intervals, while risks of myocardial and cerebral infarction were mainly short term. The highest relative risks were observed in patients without prior heart disease or with low baseline cardiovascular risk. These findings suggest that sepsis might be an independent and under-recognized driver of long-term cardiovascular disease, highlighting the need for preventive strategies.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Humans, Sweden/epidemiology, Female, Community-Acquired Infections/complications, Male, Sepsis/complications, Aged, Cohort Studies, Middle Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology, Risk Factors, Aged, 80 and over, Adult, Intensive Care Units
in
Epidemiology and Infection
volume
154
article number
e32
pages
1 - 7
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:41709572
  • scopus:105030729910
ISSN
0950-2688
DOI
10.1017/S0950268826101174
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
63205057-1b29-47eb-a81d-793b5363aa6b
date added to LUP
2026-08-25 10:01:20
date last changed
2026-08-26 04:01:08
@article{63205057-1b29-47eb-a81d-793b5363aa6b,
  abstract     = {{<p>In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the long-term risk of major cardiovascular events following intensive care unit (ICU) treatment for community-acquired sepsis and septic shock, compared to the general population. We included 20313 adults admitted to Swedish ICUs between 2008 and 2019, identified through national healthcare registries, and matched each case to 20 randomly selected population controls. Entropy balancing adjusted for baseline co-morbidities, healthcare utilization, and socio-demographics. The association between sepsis and subsequent cardiovascular events (hospitalizations or deaths due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cerebral infarction) was analysed using Cox proportional hazards models. Sepsis was associated with increased cardiovascular risk, particularly during the first year (days 0-30 adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 6.1 (95% CI 4.7-7.9); days 31-90; aHR 2.4 (95% CI 1.8-3.2); days 91-365 aHR 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.6)), with risk persisting through years 2-5 (aHRs 1.1-1.3). Heart failure risk remained elevated across all intervals, while risks of myocardial and cerebral infarction were mainly short term. The highest relative risks were observed in patients without prior heart disease or with low baseline cardiovascular risk. These findings suggest that sepsis might be an independent and under-recognized driver of long-term cardiovascular disease, highlighting the need for preventive strategies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wetterberg, Hanna and Nilsson, Anton and Linder, Adam and Lengquist, Maria and Frigyesi, Attila and Sundén-Cullberg, Jonas and Inghammar, Malin}},
  issn         = {{0950-2688}},
  keywords     = {{Humans; Sweden/epidemiology; Female; Community-Acquired Infections/complications; Male; Sepsis/complications; Aged; Cohort Studies; Middle Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology; Risk Factors; Aged, 80 and over; Adult; Intensive Care Units}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  pages        = {{1--7}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Epidemiology and Infection}},
  title        = {{The risk of cardiovascular events following community-acquired sepsis : a nationwide cohort study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268826101174}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0950268826101174}},
  volume       = {{154}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}