Persons With High Blood Pressure Advised To Be Vigilant Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Hypertension commonly called high blood pressure occurs when the pressure of the blood in a person’s arteries is consistently too high. When this happens, that person’s heart needs to work double-time to pump blood throughout the body.

Although your arteries are tough enough to handle a fluctuating blood pressure, having a consistently high blood pressure causes them to lose some of their stretchiness. Over time, they can become narrow or stiff. A narrow artery can starve the heart eventually of oxygen-rich blood. This is a major cause of heart disease, and today, experts warn it also increases the risk of death from COVID-19.

Hypertension and Coronavirus

Everyone is on the lookout for possible COVID-19 symptoms, which can signal an infection. Cardio Smart, however, said that those who must be extra vigilant are those suffering from heart disease. They are at a higher risk of developing life-threatening illnesses due to coronavirus infection.

A clinical bulletin has been issued by the American College of Cardiology, offering guidance about COVID-19 and patients with heart conditions. According to them, those who have a heart condition must take extra steps in protecting themselves amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

A Revelation

In research published in Lancet, 191 patients in China were studied, and 58 of them or around 30% were found to be suffering from hypertension. Upon further examination, researchers also found that among the 54 who died from complications caused by the coronavirus, 48% had hypertension as compared to 23% who survived.

This revelation came in the light of the admission of a Chinese doctor who said that of the 170 patients who died in Wuhan in January, almost 50% suffer from hypertension. The doctor also said that he and his colleagues have observed hypertension is usually prevalent in victims who died from coronavirus.

For Dr. Christopher Longenecker, a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine professor, he does not see the need to immediately go out and have your blood pressure examined. He said, however, that as a preventive cardiologist, he believes everyone should have their blood pressure check whether or not there is a coronavirus outbreak. He added that it is a generally good principle for people to do it regularly.

A Heart Condition Amid The Outbreak

If you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart condition, you need to provide yourself with extra care during the outbreak. You need to consult your doctor if you have any of the underlying conditions listed as high-risk factors of coronavirus infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also advising those with hypertension to stock up on blood pressure medications and continue taking them as prescribed. The health body said that while there have been people suffering from high blood pressure, yet survived the outbreak; it is better to take extra precautions. Hypertension patients need to follow recommendations by the CDC to prevent getting infected by COVID-19.