Hypertension and Pneumonia: A Retrospective Analysis on the Length of Stay

Background: Pneumonia is a serious respiratory infection that affects patients across all age groups. While it typically responds to treatment, patients with pre-existing comorbidities are at increased risk of poor outcomes. Hypertension (HTN) is a common condition that may coexist in patients with pneumonia. Although pneumonia and HTN have been studied separately, there is limited evidence regarding their combined effect on clinical outcomes, including hospital length of stay (LOS), treatment duration, and recovery trajectory. Objectives: Identifying factors that influence the length of hospital stay in patients with pneumonia is essential for addressing the burden of hospitalization on both patients and healthcare systems. In this study, we compared the proportion of patients with an extended LOS (≥6 days) between patients with pneumonia with concomitant HTN and those without HTN. Methods: A retrospective review of hospitalization data was conducted for 18,141 patients, who were divided into three groups: patients with both pneumonia and HTN (PXG), patients with pneumonia without HTN (P0G), and patients with HTN without pneumonia (0XG). Results: The analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients with an extended LOS in the PXG cohort compared with the P0G cohort. Subgroup analysis indicated that this effect was driven by outcomes in patients aged >65 years (elderly). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that hospitalization for patients with comorbid pneumonia and HTN is associated with a shorter LOS compared with patients with pneumonia without HTN. Unmeasured factors that may influence this association include the use of antihypertensive medications, adherence to lifestyle modifications, and a higher frequency of healthcare encounters.