Catching Covid could trigger killer high blood pressure – even if you were not that unwell

A new study says that contracting Covid can trigger new-onset high blood pressure.

US researchers found that even those who didn’t have a serious condition were at a greater risk of developing the serious condition.

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Recovery from Covid infection has been linked to the development of a range of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, mental health problems and brain damage.

Scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine tracked the health records of more than 45,000 people infected with the pathogen between March 2020 and February 2022.

They looked for the diagnosis of high blood pressure after discharge.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is abnormally high – it can be serious if left untreated.

The symptoms are hardly noticeable and are therefore often overlooked.

Around one in four adults in the UK has it – but up to five million have no idea.

The results, published in the journal Hypertension, showed that one in five (21 percent) of those admitted to hospital with Covid later developed hypertension.

While 11 percent of those who also tested positive but were not unwell enough to require hospitalization went on to develop the disease anyway.

Lead study author Professor Tim Q Duong said: “Given the sheer number of people affected by Covid-19, these statistics are alarming and suggest that many more patients are likely to develop high blood pressure in the future, a major public health hazard could represent.” Last.”

The massive rollout of vaccines across the UK means many already have some level of protection from the virus.

Vaccination has been vital in the fight against the virus, helping Brits emerge from lockdown and protecting the population from serious illness.

Prof Tim added: “These findings should raise awareness of screening for high blood pressure in at-risk patients after contracting Covid-19 to enable earlier detection and treatment of hypertension-related complications such as cardiovascular and kidney disease. “

previous studies have found that the virus increases a person’s risk of developing other cardiovascular problems such as venous thromboembolism (VTE), where a blood clot forms in a vein.

Other studies have shown that people who have contracted Covid are also at risk of developing myocarditis in the year after discharge.

The only way to find out if you have it is to have a blood pressure test.

All adults over the age of 40 are recommended to have a check-up at least every five years.

This can be done at your GP practice, some pharmacies, as part of an NHS health check and some workplaces.

Otherwise it can be fatal.

High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks.

It’s also a major risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease, and vascular dementia.

What is high blood pressure?

According to Blood Pressure UK, each blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, displayed as one number on top of the other.

The first (top) number is your systolic blood pressure — the force with which your heart pumps blood around your body.

The second (or bottom) number is your diastolic blood pressure — the resistance to blood flow in the blood vessels between heartbeats as blood is pumped around your heart.

An ideal blood pressure value is between 90/60 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) and 120/80 mmHg.

You have high blood pressure if your levels are consistently above 140/90 mmHg.

If you are over 80 years old, you have high blood pressure of 150/90 mmHg or more.