Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases After Hospitalization for Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality. Increasing evidence suggests that CAP may contribute to long-term morbidity through the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). We evaluate the risk for new NCDs following hospitalization for CAP. Methods: This was a retrospective matched cohort study of adults hospitalized between 1 June 2015 and 31 May 2016, using the Epic Cosmos database, with 5 years of follow-up. Adults hospitalized with CAP were matched 1:3 by age, sex, and race with adults hospitalized for non-CAP medical reasons. NCDs were identified using Results: Among 207 848 CAP patients and 623 544 matched controls, CAP hospitalization was associated with significantly increased risk of new NCDs over 5 years. Pulmonary disease showed the greatest absolute burden with a number needed to harm of 14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 13-15). The estimated national excess of NCDs attributable to CAP in 1 year was 146 542 (95% CI, 132 677-161 716), driven primarily by pulmonary, cardiovascular, and renal diseases. Conclusions: CAP hospitalization is associated with a substantial and sustained increase in risk for new NCDs, supporting CAP as an acute infection that may trigger long-term multimorbidity.