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Association of hypertension with the severity and fatality of SARS-CoV-2 infection: A meta-analysis

Jingqi Zhang1, Jing Wu1, Xiaohua Sun2

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow, China.

Epidemiology and Infection
|May 29, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension significantly increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. This meta-analysis confirms that individuals with high blood pressure face a higher likelihood of critical outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Hypertension is a prevalent comorbidity among patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • The precise relationship between hypertension and the severity or fatality of SARS-CoV-2 infection requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the impact of hypertension on COVID-19 severity and fatality.
  • To synthesize evidence from published studies to quantify the risks associated with hypertension in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was performed across multiple databases (PubMed, Elsevier, Web of Science, Wiley, Embase, CNKI) up to March 20, 2020.
  • Meta-analysis included 12 publications for severity (2389 patients) and six studies for fatality (2116 patients).
  • Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between hypertension and COVID-19 outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Hypertensive COVID-19 patients exhibited a significantly higher severity rate (37.58%) compared to non-hypertensive patients (19.73%; pooled OR: 2.27).
  • Hypertension increased the risk of COVID-19 fatality by approximately 3.48-fold (95% CI: 1.72-7.08).
  • Increased risks for severity and fatality were observed across different age groups (<50 and ⩾50 years).

Conclusions:

  • Hypertension is a significant risk factor for both increased severity and higher fatality rates in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The findings underscore the importance of managing hypertension in the context of COVID-19.
  • No significant heterogeneity or publication bias was detected, strengthening the study's conclusions.

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2fatalityhypertensionseverity

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