High blood pressure rose further early in the pandemic, study finds

CNN
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People with hypertension in the United States had elevated blood pressure during the first eight months of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study.

In people with high blood pressure, the force of the blood presses against the walls of blood vessels, and the function of the heart decreases. I have to work harder on my blood vessels and my heart. If untreated, high blood pressure eventually damages arteries and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the worldand well-controlled blood pressure is leading According to researchers in the new study, modifiable risk factors include: Published on Tuesday In the journal Hypertension.

The National Institutes of Health, which helped fund the study, says it’s one of the most extensive studies of blood pressure trends since the early days of the pandemic.

Researchers looked at the records of more than 137,000 adults with high blood pressure and compared levels from August 2018 to January 2020 with levels from April 2020 to January 2021. Records are from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Columbia University, Los Angeles. Irving Medical Center in New York City and Ochsner Health in New Orleans. The average age of participants he was 66 years old. Over half were women and 30% were black.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (abbreviated as mmHg). Measurements include upper or systolic measurements and lower and diastolic measurements.

Systolic pressure measures the pressure as blood is pumped from the heart into the arteries, and diastolic pressure is the pressure that occurs when the heart rests between beats. Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.

In this study, patients’ systolic measurements increased by an average of 1.79 mmHg and diastolic measurements increased by an average of 1.30 mmHg.

“Though these increases may seem small, studies have shown that even a 2 mmHg increase in blood pressure can increase the risk of major cardiovascular events by as much as 5 percent.” says the NIH. news release.

The overall increase in numbers was “smaller than expected,” said study author Hiroshi Gotanda, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of General Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Gotanda believes the expansion of telemedicine during the pandemic may have helped. Other research Telemedicine has been found to be an effective alternative to in-person doctor visits for managing hypertension.

High blood pressure does not always cause symptoms, so people with high blood pressure are advised to monitor their numbers at home. may pay. Also, if your blood pressure is consistently high during your visit, your doctor can change your prescription.

The study found that during the first three months of the pandemic, people were not checking their blood pressure at home as much as they used to. Measurements are down 90% from pre-pandemic. The number of checks increased over time, but even at the end of the study period, measurements remained below pre-pandemic levels.

This study had some limitations, such as measuring only those with access to health care. Those without health care or insurance may have had different results.

“The impact of the pandemic on their blood pressure could have been much greater,” Gotanda said.

The study doesn’t suggest a reason for the elevated blood pressure levels, which is difficult to determine on an individual basis, Gotanda said.

Eduardo Sanchez, Ph.D., chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, cites several other reasons. The patient’s behavior was driven by his interpretation of COVID prevention messages and his fear of COVID. In the early stages, losing a job may have prevented access to treatment, and prescriptions may not have been dispensed. Visits are increasing and blood pressure control is improving but lagging behind. ”

moreover, study show During the pandemic, people are sleeping poorly and sleeping poorly.With gyms closed and more people staying at home, they less exercisehad unhealthy food When drank more alcohol.

Gotanda says the researchers next want to see how this small increase in blood pressure affects the overall health of patients. I would like to know how hard it was for you to

Telemedicine can have a wide-ranging impact. Nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, according to the WHO. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand about half of them have what doctors consider uncontrolled hypertension. .

High blood pressure can be hereditary, but there are things you can do to control it. Careful monitoring of the numbers is the first step. American Heart Association It is recommended. Anyone who knows your number can change it if necessary.

Medication can treat high blood pressure, and lifestyle changes can help, such as quitting smoking or e-cigarettes, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating well. there is. heart healthy diet.

A heart-healthy diet is high in vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and low in salt, saturated fat, red meat, and sweets. It is also one that minimizes alcohol. The American Heart Association recommends that men drink up to two cups of her a day and women up to one.