High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most prevalent conditions in the general population, especially in those who are middle aged and older. Middle-aged is one of the most common conditions among Covid patients. As per new studies, it is found that people with high blood pressure have 22% higher risk of being hospitalised or dying from the virus compared to people without high blood pressure.
Although from early on in the pandemic there appeared to be a link between high blood pressure and Covid. It wasn’t clear whether high blood pressure itself led to a higher risk of being hospitalised or dying from Covid. The link could have been confounded by age and other factors known to impact both high blood pressure and Covid risk, along with socioeconomic status, sex, ethnicity and body mass index.
An intriguing hypothesis involves how SARS-COV-2 enters our cells. It does so through a receptor called angiotensin converting enzyme-2 or ACW2, which is a key component of what’s known as the renin-angiotensin system, which is a major regulator of blood pressure. It may be that the angiotenin system provides the link between Covid severity and high blood pressure. But at this stage, we can only speculate. We will need further research to understand the precise mechanism.
Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death from any cause in the UK and worldwide. It also disproportionately affects low income groups and people from ethnic minority backgrounds in western countries. And within these groups, rates of blood pressure control tend to be poorer. This may help to explain why ethnic minorities and low income groups have been disproportionately affected by Covid in the UK.