COVID-19 and hypertension: risks and management. A scientific statement on behalf of the British and Irish Hypertension Society
Christopher E Clark, Sinéad T. J. McDonagh, Richard J. McManus, Una Martin
Abstract
Hypertension is the single largest global contributor to disability-adjusted life years lost [ 1 ]. The majority of the population aged over 60 years have hypertension [ 2 ], and it has been suggested that they may be at increased risk from the effects of COVID-19. Despite this, and perhaps due to its ubiquity in the older population, current UK Government guidance does not identify people with hypertension as ʻat risk’ [ 3 ], however, other bodies such as the British Heart Foundation and the Health Service Executive in Ireland do [ 4 , 5 ]. This article seeks to summarise and interpret the current evidence for and against an increase in COVID-19 risk and severity for those with raised blood pressure, and discusses the implications for the choice of anti-hypertensive treatment.