COVID-19 patients with hypertension are at potential risk of worsened organ injury.

Abstract

In less than 6 months, COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world and became a global health concern. Hypertension is the most common chronic disease in COVID-19 patients, but its impact on these patients has not been well described. In this retrospective study, 82 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled, and epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological and therapy-related data were analyzed and compared between COVID-19 patients with (29 cases) or without (53 cases) hypertension. The median age of the included patients was 60.5 years, and the cohort included 49 women (59.8%) and 33 (40.2%) men. Hypertension (31 [28.2%]) was the most common chronic illness, followed by diabetes (16 [19.5%]) and cardiovascular disease (15 [18.3%]). The most common symptoms were fatigue (55 [67.1%]), dry cough (46 [56.1%]) and fever ≥ 37.3 °C (46 [56.1%]). The median time from illness onset to positive RT-PCR test was 13.0 days (range 3-25 days). There were 6 deaths (20.7%) in the hypertension group and 5 deaths (9.4%) in the nonhypertension group, and more hypertensive patients with COVID-19 (8 [27.6%]) than nonhypertensive patients (2 [3.8%]) (P = 0.002) had at least one comorbid disease. Compared with nonhypertensive patients, hypertensive patients exhibited higher neutrophil counts, serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and NT-proBNP and lower lymphocyte counts and eGFR. Dynamic observations indicated more severe disease and poorer outcomes after hospital admission in the hypertension group. COVID-19 patients with hypertension have increased risks of severe inflammatory reactions, serious internal organ injury, and disease progression and deterioration.

• Authors: Fei Xia, Mingwei Zhang, Bo Cui, Wei An, Min Chen, Ping Yang, Tao Qin, Xiaoyang Zhou, Yaling Liao, Xin Xu, Shiguo Liu, Kuangyu Li, Qin Zhou, Keke Wang, Guangxu Hu, Ming Du, Songrui Chen, Yafang Zhang, Wei Wei, Ming Xiang, Jianjun Zhang
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 11 Issue 1 Pg. 3779 (02 12 2021) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 33580165 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Aged
• COVID-19 (complications, epidemiology)
• Comorbidity
• Female
• Humans
• Hypertension (epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multiple Organ Failure (epidemiology)
• Treatment Outcome
• Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome