Risk of High Blood Pressure in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Serum Marker Study

Objectives: COVID-19 is known as a complex disease with a set of multifaceted disorders in the human body. Several factors such as gender, age, and ethnic background seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis, severity and mortality of the disease. The association between COVID-19 and hypertension has not been fully investigated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate changes in blood pressure (BP) in men and women hospitalized with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: In this perspective and single-center study, BP, hepatic enzymes and CRP levels of 295 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 117 healthy men and women were studied. Results: Elderly and young men and women had higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP) than age-matched healthy men and women, respectively. Post-menopausal women with COVID-19 had significantly higher SBP than pre-menopausal women within four days of hospitalization. Elderly men with COVID-19 had significantly higher SBP than young men on the second, third and fourth days of hospitalization. Pulse pressure was significantly increased in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy individuals during four days of BP monitoring. Data analysis revealed a positive correlation between SBP and CRP in non- menopausal women and men under 65 years of age on the first day of hospitalization. Conclusions: There was an increase in SBP and a decrease in DBP in men and women hospitalized with COVID-19 during four days of hospitalization compared with healthy age- matched men and women. COVID-19 significantly increased pulse pressure in all study groups compared to healthy age-matched controls.