Researchers are beginning to compile data about other health issues that have increased or decreased as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from mental health issues to physiological effects.
One such are of inquiry relates to blood pressure and the signs are that blood pressure levels have, on average, been increasing. This carries with it important health consequences.
As to why the pandemic is a factor this comes down to increased stress. Stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevations as well as by stimulation of the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure.
For example, with one piece of research, data relating to self-tested blood pressure measurements from 72,706 people reveal that reading prior to the pandemic (the period January 2019 to March 2020) were lower than those readings taken during the pandemic (the period April 2020 to August 2020).
The pandemic saw average systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure each increase. Those classified with uncontrolled hypertension also rose. This is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The researchers call on medical professionals to design strategies to mitigate their impact on future lockdowns. The researchers also raise the question of whether these changes in blood pressure initiated by COVID-19 will be longstanding or transient? If the answer is longstanding this will place considerable pressures upon health agencies.
According to lead researcher Eric Peterson: “The study’s findings are important because even a few millimeters of blood pressure change can result in measurable differences in risks for heart attack, stroke or heart failure. We need to get these patients under better control long term.”
The results appear in the American Heart Journal where the paper is titled “Trends of blood pressure control in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Similar data is provided by a second research study. This inquiry looked at 464,585 participants who were in an employer-sponsored wellness program (the participants resided in the U.S.). The data collection period stretched from January 2018 through to December 2020.
The second study trends found that blood pressure levels remained stable in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years, and then proceeded to increase significantly throughout 2020. The greatest increases in blood pressure readings were for women.
The second study appears in the journal Circulation under the heading “Rise in Blood Pressure Observed Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
