Top 10 health problems worse since COVID-19

Created August 2025

Top Ten Diseases with Increased Incidence or Severity Since COVID-19 Perplexity AI Aug 2025

The research confirms that POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) has indeed experienced a dramatic increase since the COVID-19 pandemic, with studies showing a 14-fold increase in incidence . However, POTS is just one of many conditions that have seen significant increases. Based on comprehensive analysis of medical literature and epidemiological studies, here are the ten diseases with the most notable increases in incidence or severity since COVID-19: nature+2

Summary table


Rank	Disease/Condition	Increase Factor	Population Most Affected	Time Frame	Key Findings
1	POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)	14x increased incidence	Young adults, women	Post-infection, ongoing	2-14% of COVID survivors develop POTS nature+2
2	Myocarditis	3x higher rate vs influenza	Males under 30, young adults	Within 1 year post-infection	Higher risk than post-vaccine myocarditis jamanetwork+2
3	Type 1 Diabetes	16-28% higher incidence	Children and adolescents	During pandemic years 2020-2023	Exceeded normal 2-3% annual increase cedars-sinai+1
4	Type 2 Diabetes	66% higher risk of new-onset	Adults, especially unvaccinated	Post-infection period	Affects pancreatic beta cells, insulin cidrap.umn+2
5	Heart Attack/Stroke Risk	2x risk (up to 3 years)	First wave infections, non-O blood types	Up to 3 years post-infection	Genetic component involving blood type kff+2
6	Depression and Anxiety	6x higher rates (50% anxiety, 44% depression)	Young adults 18-29, women, minorities	Throughout pandemic, persisting	Highest impact on young, disadvantaged groups heart+2
7	Autoimmune Diseases (Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.)	22-44% increase (varies by type)	Women, multiple types affected	2021-2023, sustained increase	Multiple types: RA, SpA, PsA, SjS increased nihrecord.nih+2
8	Chronic Kidney Disease	2.5% in COVID patients vs 1.5% without	Advanced CKD patients, Asian race	During and post-infection	COVID infection accelerates decline heart+2
9	Eating Disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia)	15.3% higher incidence overall	Female teenagers, anorexia nervosa	Throughout pandemic 2020+	Doubled in teens, suicide risk increased aha+2
10	Sleep Disorders/Insomnia	52% of COVID patients affected	All ages, worse with anxiety/depression	During and post-infection	Long-term insomnia in mild cases too clevelandclinic+2

Key Patterns and Mechanisms

Direct Viral Effects : Many conditions result from SARS-CoV-2's direct impact on organs through ACE2 receptors, particularly affecting the cardiovascular system, pancreas, kidneys, and brain. who+2

Autoimmune Triggering : COVID-19 appears to trigger autoimmune responses, leading to increased rates of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and POTS. heart+2

Demographic Vulnerabilities : Young adults, women, and racial minorities have been disproportionately affected across multiple conditions. heart+2

Long-term Persistence : Many of these increases have persisted well beyond the acute phase of the pandemic, with some conditions showing elevated risk for up to three years post-infection. kff+2

Pandemic-Related Factors : Beyond direct viral effects, lockdown measures, social isolation, healthcare disruptions, and psychological stress have contributed to increases in mental health conditions, eating disorders, and other health problems. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+3

The data reveals that COVID-19's impact extends far beyond respiratory illness, creating a cascade of health consequences that continue to affect populations worldwide. The 14-fold increase in POTS represents one of the most dramatic examples of how the pandemic has fundamentally altered disease patterns, particularly affecting young people who were previously considered low-risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes.

References

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Tags: Autoimmune Cardiovascular Depression Diabetes Kidney Sleep