Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2025
Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
Blood Pressure Increase following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Overview and Meta-Analysis
Fabio Angeli1,2, Gianpaolo Reboldi3, Monica Trapasso4
1Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Insights
Abnormal blood pressure (BP) is a potential adverse reaction following COVID-19 vaccination. This meta-analysis found that approximately 3.20% of vaccinated individuals experienced abnormal or increased BP, warranting further investigation into underlying mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- COVID-19 vaccines demonstrate high efficacy in preventing severe disease.
- Concerns regarding vaccine safety, specifically blood pressure (BP) changes, have emerged post-authorization.
- Phase III trials did not initially signal an increase in BP post-vaccination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze and quantify the incidence of abnormal or increased BP following COVID-19 vaccination.
- To estimate the pooled proportion of adverse BP events in vaccinated populations.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies.
- Inclusion of six studies with a total of 357,387 participants.
- Analysis of reported events of abnormal or increased BP, including hypertensive urgencies and emergencies.
Main Results:
- The pooled estimated proportion of abnormal or increased BP after COVID-19 vaccination was 3.20% (95% CI: 1.62-6.21).
- Stage III hypertension or hypertensive urgencies and emergencies accounted for 0.6% of cases (95% CI: 0.1% to 5.1%).
Conclusions:
- Abnormal blood pressure is a notable, though not frequent, occurrence after COVID-19 vaccination.
- The underlying physiological mechanisms driving post-vaccination BP changes remain poorly understood and require additional research.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines proved a strong clinical efficacy against symptomatic or moderate/severe COVID-19 and are considered the most promising approach for curbing the pandemic. However, some questions regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines have been recently raised. Among adverse events to vaccines and despite a lack of signal during phase III clinical trials, an increase in blood pressure (BP) after COVID-19 vaccination has been reported as a potential adverse reaction. We systematically analyze this topic and undertook a meta-analysis of available data to estimate the proportion of patients with abnormal BP or raise in BP after vaccination. Six studies entered the final analysis. Overall, studies accrued 357,387 subjects with 13,444 events of abnormal or increased BP. After exclusion of outlier studies, the pooled estimated proportion of abnormal/increased BP after vaccination was 3.20% (95% CI: 1.62-6.21). Proportions of cases of stage III hypertension or hypertensive urgencies and emergencies was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.1% to 5.1%). In conclusion, abnormal BP is not rare after COVID-19 vaccination, but the basic mechanisms of this phenomenon are still unclear and require further research.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's...
01:17Measurement of Blood Pressure
01:28Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
01:18Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
01:30Blood Pressure
The average BP in an adult is typically around 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In this measurement, the numerator (120) indicates the systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart's ventricles as blood is expelled. The denominator (80) represents the...
01:28Factors affecting Blood pressure
Physiological Factors: