COVID-19 can cause persistent hypertension even in patients with no prior history of hypertension, according to a new study by Tim Duong, Ph.D., and colleagues. The findings were published online on August 21 in Hypertension. The researchers monitored the onset of new-onset hypertension in more than 45,000 COVID-19 patients and nearly 14,000 influenza patients treated at Montefiore Health System. The incidence of new-onset persistent hypertension was significantly higher in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (21%) compared with hospitalized influenza patients (16%). The incidence of new-onset persistent hypertension among non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients was also substantial (11%). This finding indicates that even patients with mild cases of COVID-19 face a significant risk for developing persistent hypertension— cause for concern, considering that more than 103 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. Those COVID-19 patients most susceptible to developing hypertension were older male adults, African Americans, patients with preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes and coronary heart disease, and people treated with vasopressor and corticosteroid drugs. The findings emphasize the need for healthcare professionals to look for and manage hypertension in at-risk patients recovering from COVID-19.

Dr. Duong is professor and vice chair for research of radiology at Einstein and Montefiore, professor of biochemistry, and professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience at Einstein.