Am I at increased risk of coronavirus if I have high blood pressure (or have been diagnosed with hypertension)?
We know that elevated blood pressure (hypertension) diagnosis is related to a higher risk of severe Covid-19 disease, so you are considered to be at high risk. This means that you are more likely to get severely sick when you get coronavirus than someone who does not have health issues.
It is really important that you take your medication to lower your blood pressure, as recommended, by your Doctor.
Having high blood pressure by itself does not put you in the category of safety.
It is mandatory to do the following to decrease your chance of catching the virus.
- Always wear your Face mask
- Follow the social distancing and hand-washing advice carefully
- Restrict the number of face-to-face contacts
- When you can, you should work from home.
Your increased risk is comparatively low if your blood pressure is well controlled and It has not caused the heart muscle to thicken and there are no other health problems or risk factors for you (such as smoking, obesity, or being over 60yrs of age)
Other things you can do to help are not limited to
- Drinking less alcohol
- Quit smoking
- Lose some weight
- Exercise regularly
- Eating less salt
It is also easy to keep an eye on your blood pressure at home with a blood pressure monitor if you have one.
