Covid-19 increases the risk of developing hypertension, study shows

After analyzing more than 45 thousand cases of Covid-19 and 14 thousand of the flu common, a survey published by Revista Hypertensionfrom the American Heart Association, found a significant relationship between coronavirus infection and a greater risk of developing high blood pressure.

According to the analysis, 21% of people hospitalized with Covid-19 and 11% of those who were not hospitalized for the disease developed high blood pressure, compared to 16% of individuals hospitalized with the flu and 4% of those who did not require hospitalization.

“These findings should raise awareness to screen patients at risk for hypertension after Covid-19 to enable earlier identification and treatment of hypertension-related complications such as cardiovascular and kidney disease,” said senior author Tim Q. Duong. of the study, in a statement.

Hypertension is generally silent and does not cause symptoms, which makes it difficult to seek treatment. Photograph: Kurhan/Adobe Stock

According to the cardiologist and nephrologist specialized in arterial hypertension at Hcor, Celso Amodeo, hypertension associated with Covid-19 may be related to factors caused by isolation, such as stress, weight gain due to lack of physical activity and the development of habits bad food. “There are many studies that show the consequences of Covid-19 for the heart, such as cardiac arrhythmia, thrombosis and heart attack. Hypertension is just one of the many that we continue to discover, day after day,” said Amodeo, in a statement.

Although people with a family history are more predisposed to hypertension, in this particular study, individuals without a family history were the most susceptible to the onset of the disease, as were those who had pre-existing diseases (diabetes It is obesityfor example) and were over 40 years old.

For Amodeo, the results indicate that, as studies progress, it will be possible to find even more people with high blood pressure due to Covid-19. “What we need to do at this moment is extensive tracking of people who have been infected and who may develop cardiovascular diseases in the future, applying the best preventive treatment method we have available”, reinforced the doctor.

Silent disease

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) released for the first time a report that details the global impact of high blood pressure, with data on the incidence of the disease in each country. According to studyone in three adults around the world suffers from high blood pressure and Brazil is above average, with 50.7 million hypertensive people between 30 and 79 years old.

The WHO called the disease a “silent killer” and its impact “devastating.” This is because hypertension generally does not cause symptoms – which is why there is low population adherence to treatment – but it can lead to death by causing stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, among other serious health problems.

What are the causes of hypertension?

According to the Ministry of Health, high blood pressure can be primary, when it appears without a clear cause. This is the main type that affects Brazilians. It usually appears after the age of 65 and may be related to factors such as family history, physical inactivity, excess salt in the diet and smoking.

Secondary hypertension occurs due to other health problems. According to the Ministry of Health, it is essential to diagnose correctly to determine the best course of treatment.

How is the treatment carried out?

The treatment of hypertension must be guided by a cardiologist. In the case of secondary hypertension, the doctor must indicate targeted treatment to correct the disease that caused the high blood pressure.

In the case of primary hypertension, the doctor must advise lifestyle changes, such as practicing physical activity regularly, avoiding smoking and reducing salt consumption, for example.

However, when lifestyle changes are not effective in lowering blood pressure, your doctor may recommend the use of antihypertensive medications, such as diuretics or beta blockers.