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Severe infection

Severe infection has been studied in 4 papers since 2026: 4 observational studies in people; 4 in the past year. The newest story, Nov 3, 2026: “Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems”.

Exposure

4 papers study it9 findingsUpdated

1 new paper in 30 daysSee all 4

“Infection was associated with a significantly increased risk of any incident arrhythmia (adjusted HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.80-1.90).”
Temporal associations between severe infection and long-term risk of incident arrhythmias: a population-based cohort studyBMC medicine2026doi:10.1186/s12916-026-05098-y

None of its findings points the other way.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

  • 3 independent labs in 3 countries
  • Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China and others
  • Humans4

What did studies of severe infection find?

2

Studies of severe infection measured 2 outcomes; the most studied are expected length of stay in frailty states (1 study) and frailty (1).

Expected length of stay in frailty states

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Severe infection is linked with lower expected length of stay in frailty states in humans (at five years).

    “lower ELOS in each frailty state than those without severe infection”

    Humansat five yearsfive years

    A multistate model of frailty progression after severe infections in adults ≥65 years in England: a matched-cohort study

    medRxivPreprint

Frailty

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Severe infection is linked with higher frailty in humans (US cohort) (+2·0, 95% CI 1·9-2·0).

    “At Year 1, adjusted mean frailty was higher among adults with severe infections than those without (US: VACS Index +2·0, 95% CI 1·9-2·0”

    HumansUS cohort1 year

    Frailty progression following severe infections in adults ≥65 years in US and England: two matched cohort studies

    medRxivPreprint

What is severe infection linked with?

7

Studies link severe infection with 7 measures, most often atrioventricular block (1 study), ventricular arrhythmia (1) and sudden cardiac arrest (1).

Atrioventricular block

upin humans1HR 3.03

1 study

  1. Severe infection is associated with atrioventricular block in humans (HR 3.03, 95% CI 2.83–3.25).

    “ventricular arrhythmias (HR 3.11, 2.80-3.45), and AV block (HR 3.03, 2.83-3.25).”

    Humans

    Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems

    BMC medicine

More on Atrioventricular block

Ventricular arrhythmia

upin humans1HR 3.11

1 study

  1. Severe infection is associated with ventricular arrhythmia in humans (HR 3.11, 95% CI 2.80–3.45).

    “Risks were elevated across all specific arrhythmias, being particularly pronounced for sudden cardiac arrest (HR 2.79, 2.54-3.07), ventricular arrhythmias (HR 3.11, 2.80-3.45)”

    Humans

    Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems

    BMC medicine

More on Ventricular arrhythmia

Sudden cardiac arrest

upin humans1HR 2.79

1 study

  1. Severe infection is associated with sudden cardiac arrest in humans (HR 2.79, 95% CI 2.54–3.07).

    “Risks were elevated across all specific arrhythmias, being particularly pronounced for sudden cardiac arrest (HR 2.79, 2.54-3.07)”

    Humans

    Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems

    BMC medicine

More on Sudden cardiac arrest

Incident arrhythmia

upin humans1HR 1.85

1 study

  1. Severe infection is associated with incident arrhythmia in humans (Adjusted HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.80–1.90).

    “Infection was associated with a significantly increased risk of any incident arrhythmia (adjusted HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.80-1.90).”

    HumansMedian follow-up of 14.2 yearsn = 465,374

    Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems

    BMC medicine

More on Incident arrhythmia

Death

upin humans1HR 4.57

1 study

  1. Severe infection is linked with a higher risk of death in humans (transition from fit frailty state) (HR 4.57 (95% CI 4.50–4.65) for fit to death).

    “fit to : mild[1.56, 1.54-1.58], moderate[2.51, 1.79-3.51], death[4.57, 4.50-4.65]”

    Humanstransition from fit frailty state

    A multistate model of frailty progression after severe infections in adults ≥65 years in England: a matched-cohort study

    medRxivPreprint

Frailty progression

upin humans1HR 1.4–2.51

1 study

  1. Severe infection is linked with a higher risk of frailty progression in humans (time-varying Markov multistate model, adjusted Cox regression) (transition HRs 1.40 to 2.51 for frailty-state transitions).

    “Across all transitions, severe infection was associated with higher adjusted hazards of transitioning to worsening frailty or death”

    Humanstime-varying Markov multistate model, adjusted Cox regression

    A multistate model of frailty progression after severe infections in adults ≥65 years in England: a matched-cohort study

    medRxivPreprint

Dementia

upin humans1HR 1.49

1 study

  1. Severe infection is linked with a higher risk of dementia in humans after adjustment for frailty (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.37-1.61).

    “adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1·54 [95% CI 1·43-1·67] for presence vs absence of severe infections before adjustment for frailty and 1·49 [1·37-1·61] after adjustment”

    Humansafter adjustment for frailtyn = 435,957

    The role of frailty and comorbidities in severe infections and the risk of dementia: a prospective, multicohort, observational study

    The lancet. Healthy longevity

More on Dementia

Latest

Dec 2025: 0Jan 2026: 0Feb 2026: 0Mar 2026: 2Apr 2026: 0May 2026: 0Jun 2026: 1Jul 2026: 0Aug 2026: 1Sep 2026: 0Oct 2026: 0Nov 2026: 04 papers in 12 months
BMC Medicine

Severe infection linked to long-term heart rhythm problems

The adjusted hazard ratio for new heart rhythm disorders was 1.85 after hospital-treated infection compared with no infection, over 14.2 years’ median follow-up.The adjusted hazard ratio for new heart rhythm disorders was 1.85 after hospital-treated infection compared with no infection, over 14.2 years’ median follow-up.

Cohort · 465,374 peoplePopulations
Paper

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