Based on data from the Dutch quality registry NICE and the administrative claims database of Vektis we dicovered that ICU patients have more chronic conditions compared to a matched control group during the year before ICU admission. After case-mix adjustment ICU patients had a higher risk of developing chronic conditions, from 1.7 times higher risk for asthma to 24 times higher risk for epilepsy, compared with the control group. Due to the high prevalence of chronic conditions and the increased risk of developing new chronic conditions, ICU follow-up care is advised and may focus on the identification and treatment of the new developed chronic conditions.