High blood pressure management to be more careful in the era of Corona[기고/임상현]

Im Sang-hyun, president of the Korean Society of Hypertension
(Professor of Cardiology, Catholic University of Korea)

Im Sang-hyun, president of the Korean Society of Hypertension

Recently, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased once more, and on the 17th (182,236 people), the highest since mid-April. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 95% of COVID-19 deaths in Korea are from underlying diseases. Most of them are ‘circulatory system’ patients. If they are infected with COVID-19, not only will their recovery be slow, but there is a high possibility that they will become seriously infected and die.

Among circulatory diseases, hypertension is a ‘national disease’ that 1 in 3 Korean adults have. About 40% of people over the age of 65 have hypertension. Older patients have a higher prevalence of hypertension and have underlying diseases including other cardiovascular diseases, making them more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Therefore, in the era of COVID-19, it is of utmost importance to prevent and properly manage ‘hypertension’, an important risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Another study found that Corona 19 patients suffering from high blood pressure were twice as likely to be hospitalized as they progressed to severe disease compared to those with normal blood pressure.

According to ‘Hypertension’, a journal of the American Heart Association in June, in a study of patients who received up to 3 doses of the mRNA vaccine, 86% of patients hospitalized due to breakthrough infection with the Omicron mutation were hypertensive. In this study, high blood pressure more than doubled the risk of developing gastritis.

Although the 4th vaccination is recommended for those over 50 in Korea, it is not safe for hypertensive patients who have completed the booster shot. Along with proper blood pressure management, it is important to pay more attention to infection prevention, such as wearing a mask and washing hands.

How to manage high blood pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic? Preventing COVID-19 or reducing activity due to infection raises blood pressure. It also worsens access to hospitals, which interferes with continuous medication intake. Delaying the diagnosis of new hypertension may increase the associated complications.

For this reason, the importance of managing blood pressure in daily life, such as accurate blood pressure measurement at home, is being emphasized. Accurately measured home blood pressure predicts cardiovascular complications. It is also very important in managing and diagnosing hypertension, such as improving adherence to medication and treatment aggressiveness.

The Korean Society of Hypertension is notifying the significance and method of accurate blood pressure measurement through the ‘Guidelines for Home Blood Pressure Management’. Some antihypertensive drugs are discontinued due to reports that they may increase the number of COVID-19 infections. Do not stop taking medication with incorrect information. If your blood pressure cannot be controlled or you have symptoms related to it, you should visit a hospital and discuss it with your doctor.

In the treatment of hypertension, it is important to combine lifestyle modifications such as eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. It is also the most important rule in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. There is a tendency to gain weight as outdoor activity decreases, and to increase salt intake and alcohol consumption due to decreased appetite. Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the diet and to control the calories. In this era, it is most important to pay more attention to personal hygiene to prevent COVID-19 along with proper blood pressure management.

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