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. 2024 Jan 15;13(2):476.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13020476.

Trends in the Incidence of Cardiovascular Diagnoses and Procedures over the Years 2012-2021 in Israel: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Orna Reges  1   2 , Wiessam Abu Ahmad  2   3 , Erez Battat  2 , Walid Saliba  4   5 , Yael Wolff Sagy  2 , Asaf Danon  5   6 , Gil Lavie  2   5
Affiliations

Trends in the Incidence of Cardiovascular Diagnoses and Procedures over the Years 2012-2021 in Israel: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Orna Reges et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Prior studies found reduced incidences of cardiovascular diagnoses and treatments in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these studies included a limited number of outcomes and did not consider pre-pandemic trends. This study aimed to describe trends in the incidence of cardiovascular diagnoses and treatments over the years 2012-2021 in Israel and to compare the two years of the COVID-19 period with the preceding 8 years. In this retrospective, population-based study, carried out within Clalit Health Services, the incidence rates of cardiovascular outcomes were calculated for individuals aged ≥ 25 (~2.7 million adults per year) during the first (Y1, 3/2020-2/2021) and second (Y2, 3/2021-2/2022) years of COVID-19 and the 8 years prior (3/2012-2/2020). Declines were observed in Y1 compared to 2019 in all diagnoses and treatments: STEMI (-16.3%; 95% CI: -16.6, -16.1), non-STEMI (-16.4%; -16.6, -16.2), AF (-14.1%; -14.2, -14.0), CHF (-7.8%; -7.9, -7.7), CVA (-5.0%; -5.0, -4.9), catheterization (-64.7%; -65.2, -64.2), CABG (-77.7%; -79.2, -76.2), ablation (-21.2%; -22.0, -20.4), pacemaker implantation (-39.3%; -40.7, -37.9), and defibrillator insertion (-12.5%; -13.1, -12.0). Compared with expected rates based on pre-pandemic trends, observed rates were within expected ranges (CHF, CVA, and ablation), less than expected (STEMI, non-STEMI, AF, catheterization, CABG, and pacemaker insertion), or more than expected (defibrillator insertion). In Y2, STEMI, catheterization, and CABG returned to expected rates; non-STEMI and AF were lower than expected; and CHF, CVA, ablation, and pacemaker and defibrillator implantations were higher than expected. Several cardiovascular diagnoses and treatment trends were interrupted by COVID-19. The long-term consequences of these changes should be considered by health policymakers.

Keywords: COVID-19; cardiovascular disease; trends.

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Conflict of interest statement

No relevant financial relationship exists. All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Annual incidence rates of cardiovascular procedures during the years 2012–2021 (per 100,000 patients, black line). Blue line indicates the overall trend between 2012 and 2019, while the red dots represent the expected continuation of that trend in 2020 and 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

This research received no funding.
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