COVID-19 Management of hypertension during a pandemic-Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Not long ago, when the daily COVID-19 cases peaked in Indonesia, many were busy looking for pulse oximeters. People believed that devices that measure oxygen saturation in red blood cells and heart pulses could also detect coronavirus infections.

That wasn’t wrong. In the midst of a pandemic, everyone is responsible for protecting themselves, their families, and others interacting with the deadly virus.Based on the data from, as we know www.worldometers.info, More than 40 million COVID-19 cases are registered worldwide and more than 1 million have died.

The death toll from COVID-19 so far this year is higher than malaria (405,000) for the full year 2018, HIV / AIDS (690,000) for the full year 2019, and suicide (800,000). Every year. In Indonesia alone, the number of cases exceeds 360,000 and the death toll exceeds 12,000.

However, many forget that the severity and mortality of COVID-19 is closely linked to the health problems that nearly one-third of Indonesia’s population suffers from. High blood pressure. According to the Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas), the number of hypertensive patients in Indonesia increased from 25.8% in 2015 to 63 million in 2018, or 34.1% of the population.

The association between hypertension and death from COVID-19 has been clarified by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). According to an ESC press release on June 5, 2020, Chinese and Irish researchers included 2,866 COVID-19 patients admitted to Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China, from February 5 to March 15. Data was analyzed. 29.5 percent (850) had a history of hypertension (hypertension).

Meanwhile, on June 25, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which is part of the National Medical Library, also emphasized metadata analysis by Research Square from January 24 to March 16, with the highest hypertension. It was shown to be a comorbidity of the disease. The factor for COVID-19 patients is 15.8%, followed by heart disease (11.7%) and diabetes (9.4%). Ironically, heart disease and diabetes are closely associated with high blood pressure. Hypertension is a risk factor for several organs, including the heart, and diabetes is one of the triggers for high blood pressure.

Indonesian doctors state that hypertension is a major comorbidity of COVID-19.by covid19.go.id data, Half of all COVID-19-positive patients and 13% of those who died had hypertension.

According to Eka Ginanjar, secretary general of the Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine (PAPDI), people with high blood pressure are susceptible to COVID-19 due to poor blood vessel status, and the mucosal layer of the body is strong enough to prevent infection. Is not.

Therefore, since 2018, the CERAMAH initiative of the Indonesian Hypertension Association (InaSH), which actively campaigns for people to check their blood pressure at home, is worthy of evaluation and has become even more important during the pandemic. According to InaSH, accurate and regular blood pressure checks at home show actual blood pressure compared to occasional blood pressure checks at hospitals / clinics. Checking blood pressure at home also enhances patient compliance and encourages active participation in patient recovery.

What is your ideal blood pressure? According to InaSH, normal blood pressure is when home measurements indicate systole / diastole of less than 135/85 mmHg. Anything above that number is considered hypertension. Systolic blood pressure (first number) indicates the pressure that human blood exerts on the arterial wall when the heart beats, and diastolic blood pressure (second number) indicates the pressure that the heart exerts on the arterial wall between the hearts. Indicates. I’m resting between beats.

Therefore, during a pandemic, checking blood pressure to ensure that blood pressure is within the normal range is just as important as measuring oxygen saturation, which is a trend in Indonesia. Checking blood pressure is even more important as it is associated with other comorbidities that contribute to the severity of COVID-19.

Of course, people should not forget government-recommended health measures, such as regular safe exercise and intake of highly nutritious foods and vitamins to boost immunity.

Another thing is that you need to be very patient and be prepared to follow the above best practices consistently to prevent COVID-19 infection. According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic lasts for at least a year and the world is not completely safe until the proven COVID-19 vaccine is distributed worldwide.

-The writer is the director of OMRON Healthcare Indonesia.

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