ANALYSIS OF THE PREVALENCE OF SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN PATIENTS ADMITTED FOR SUSPECTED COVID-19 IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The presence of multiple comorbidities is associated with more severe manifestations of COVID-19. Although severe illness can affect anyone, most severe cases have at least one risk factor. Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is particularly relevant due to its high prevalence globally and in Brazil. This retrospective study analyzed suspected COVID-19 hospitalizations in a tertiary hospital, with the aim of determining the prevalence of SAH in different age groups. 956 hospitalizations due to suspected COVID-19 were recorded during the period from March 2020 to January 2021 at `` Hospital Universitário de Canoas``. Among patients over 60 years old (n = 542), 70.7% had SAH. In the age group of 50 to 59 years (n = 168), 54.2% were hypertensive. For patients aged 40 to 49 years (n = 135), the prevalence of hypertension was 36.3%. In the age group of 30 to 39 years (n = 81), 19.8% had SAH. For those aged 20 to 29 years (n = 30), only 3.3% had this comorbidity. The results indicate that the prevalence of SAH increases with the age of patients and that the most severe cases of COVID-19, resulting in hospital admission, are more associated with older patients with SAH. This suggests that chronic changes in end organs caused by SAH may play a role in the less favorable outcomes of COVID-19. In summary, this study highlights the importance of hypertension as a risk factor, especially in older patients, for worsening COVID-19 and the need for prevention and management strategies aimed at this population.