In a new study from UT Southwestern, researchers found blood pressure rose moderately during the early months of the pandemic.
They say that people were less active, ate more, and drank more during the pandemic, all of which led to higher blood pressure.
COVID made it challenging for people to see their doctors and have their medications adjusted.
In the study, the team examined data of 72,706 patients across the United States enrolled in a blood pressure disease management program.
Researchers compared readings from April-August 2020 with data taken before the pandemic, January 2019-March 2019.
They found that rates of uncontrolled high blood pressure went from 15% to 19% though only 5% had severely uncontrolled blood pressure (defined as systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mm/hg).
While these changes appear modest, they are significant as slight changes in blood pressure control at the population level can have tremendous consequences downstream.
Additionally, as the study looked at only those patients in a hypertension management program who were already concerned about their health, greater changes in blood pressure may be seen in the general population.
The study’s findings are important because even a few millimeters of blood pressure change can result in measurable differences in risks for heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
The team says doctors need to get these patients under better control long term.
If this is within a program of patients in a digital home management system, it’s concerning how well-controlled blood pressure was in the general population.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that common high blood pressure drug may prevent COVID-19 complication, and this blood pressure drug may repair blood vessels in brain.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about why having bad oral health could raise the risk of COVID, and results showing that physical inactivity linked to severe COVID-19 and death.
The study is published in the American Heart Journal and was conducted by Eric Peterson et al.
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