Does having high blood pressure increase your risk for COVID-19 or more severe symptoms?
We’re still learning about underlying health conditions and their impact on COVID-19. As such, it’s currently unknown whether having high blood pressure increases your risk for contracting the virus.
But could high blood pressure put you at an increased risk of complications if you do contract the virus and get sick? Researchers are working to answer that question.
A recent study investigated more than 2,800 hospitalized individuals with confirmed COVID-19 in China. Investigators made the following observations related to high blood pressure:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated their list of factors that put an individual at increased risk for serious illness due to COVID-19.
While a specific type of high blood pressure — pulmonary hypertension — is listed as a risk factor for serious illness, general hypertension is currently not.
Instead, the CDC states that based on current research, high blood pressure may put you at risk for serious illness.
According to the CDC, the confirmed risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness include: