Patients with high blood pressure are twice as likely to die from Covid-19 compared to those without it.
- According to a study of 2,800 patients with Covid-19, the risk of death is increased for people with high blood pressure.
- According to Chinese researchers, the risk of death is 2.12 times higher for patients with high blood pressure.
- The only parade to limit this excess mortality: continue to diligently follow your treatment against hypertension.
Contracting Covid-19 is more dangerous for some people: those over 65, those with obesity but also those suffering from high blood pressure (HTA). This pathology is caused by excess blood pressure in the arteries. This is due to a stiffening of the arterial walls which can lead to premature aging of the arteries. At term and in the absence of treatment, there is a high risk of cardiovascular accident. In an observational study published in The European Heart Journalresearchers find that patients with hypertension are more likely to die from the new coronavirus.
The need to carefully monitor these patients
“Shortly after the first Covid-19 patients were admitted in early February in Wuhan, we noticed that almost half of those who died had high blood pressure, which was a much higher percentage. than those with only mild symptoms of coronavirus”, explains Professor Ling Tao, one of the authors of the study. It was carried out using data from more than 2,800 patients hospitalized for Covid-19 at Huo Shen Shan Hospital (China). Among them, 29.5% of them had already suffered from hypertension during their life. Analysis of the figures shows that 34 out of the 850 patients with hypertension died of Covid-19, compared to 22 out of 2,027 for people not affected.
After adjusting for various factors, including the presence of other pathologies, the researchers estimate that the risk of death from Covid-19 is 2.12 times higher for patients with high blood pressure. “It is important for patients with high blood pressure to realize that they have an increased risk of dying from Covid-19insists Professor Fei Li, co-author of the study. They need to take extra care of themselves during this pandemic and they need more vigilance if they are infected with the coronavirus.”
It is essential to continue the treatment
People with hypertension who do not take their treatment are even more at risk. “One hundred and forty patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19 were no longer taking their hypertension medication for various reasons, adds the scientist, we found that this was associated with a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus. About 7.9% of patients who interrupted their treatment died from the virus. Their risk of death is 2.17 times higher, compared to people with hypertension under treatment. “Patients should not interrupt or modify their treatment for hypertension”conclude the researchers.
According to High Blood Pressure Research Foundation7.6 million people take treatment for this pathology in France, this represents 25% of the over 35s.
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