2023-10-02 05:00:11
COVID-19 Hospitalization Linked to Increased Risk of High Blood Pressure, Study Finds
2 Oct. 2023 – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teera Worathanarat from the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University has recently shared findings from a study conducted by Zhang V and colleagues from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in the USA. The study, which was published in the Medical Journal of Hypertension in August 2023, examined the incidence of new-onset high blood pressure in individuals infected with COVID-19 and compared it to those infected with influenza.
The study involved a group of 45,398 individuals infected with COVID-19 between March 2020 and August 2022, as well as a group of 13,864 individuals infected with influenza between January 2018 and August 2022. Notably, both populations had no previous history of high blood pressure.
After a follow-up period of 6 months, the researchers discovered that among those infected with COVID-19, 20.6% of individuals who required hospitalization had developed high blood pressure. Furthermore, approximately 11% of individuals who were infected but did not require hospitalization also developed high blood pressure.
When compared to the group infected with influenza, the COVID-19 patients who had been hospitalized were found to have a 2.23 times greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Additionally, the COVID-19 infected group that did not require hospital treatment still had a 1.52 times higher risk of high blood pressure compared to the influenza group.
These results emphasize the importance of taking precautionary measures against COVID-19 and other infections. Each infection carries the risk of severe illness, death, and long-term complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teera Worathanarat advises individuals to protect themselves by wearing masks correctly and taking other preventive measures when going out for daily activities. It is especially important for individuals who have previously been infected to regularly monitor their health, undergo screenings for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and follow proper academic guidelines to ensure well-being and safety in their lives.
The findings of this study, published in the Hypertension journal on 21 August 2023, shed light on the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and emphasize the need for ongoing vigilance and care in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
References:
Incidence of New-Onset Hypertension Post–COVID-19: Comparison With Influenza. Hypertension. 21 August 2023.]
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