COVID-19 patients with hypertension have more severe disease: a multicenter retrospective observational study

This study aims to explore the effect of hypertension on disease progression and prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 310 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were studied. A comparison was made between two groups of patients, those with hypertension and those without hypertension. Their demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory indicators, and treatment methods were collected and analyzed. A total of 310 patients, including 113 patients with hypertension and 197 patients without hypertension, were included in the analysis. Compared with patients without hypertension, patients with hypertension were older, were more likely to have diabetes and cerebrovascular disease, and were more likely to be transferred to the intensive care unit. The neutrophil count and lactate dehydrogenase, fibrinogen, and D-dimer levels in hypertensive patients were significantly higher than those in nonhypertensive patients (P < 0.05). However, multivariate analysis (adjusted for age and sex) failed to show that hypertension was an independent risk factor for COVID-19 mortality or severity. COVID-19 patients with hypertension were more likely than patients without hypertension to have severe pneumonia, excessive inflammatory reactions, organ and tissue damage, and deterioration of the disease. Patients with hypertension should be given additional attention to prevent worsening of their condition.