HYPERTENSION AS A RISK FACTOR FOR COVID-19 SEVERITY AND MORTALITY: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW
NISREEN OMAR ASRAF *
National Guard Hospital, Primary Health Care (Specialized Poly clinic), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
ZAHRAH MOHAMMED ALFARAJ
Eastern Smiles Private Dental Clinic, Saudi Arabia.
MALIKAH ABDU ABUAISHAH
Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
AISHA ABDU ABUAISHAH
Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
ESRAA AHMAD ALSHAREEF
National Guard Hospital, Primary Health Care (Specialized Poly clinic), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
ABDOUH ALI A AWAD
AlQunfudah General Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
AFNAN ALHUSSEIN IBRAHIM ZOGHBY
Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
FATIMAH ESSA MOHAMMED AGEELI
Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
AMAL AHMAD MOBARKI
Alaqeel Clinic, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
LUAI KHALIL GHANDOORA
West laban PHC , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DANAH YOUSSEF ALBOURI
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
ALI HUSSAIN ALKHALUF
King Faisal University, Hofuf (Al Ahsa), Saudi Arabia.
IBRAHIM FAHAD ALHUMAIDI
Dar Aluloom University, Saudi Arabia.
MOHAMED HASSAN ASSEM MOHAMED ABDELMEGUID
Samir Abbas Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The new coronavirus illness (COVID-19) produced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has swiftly grown into a global epidemic. Hypertension has been identified as the most common cardiovascular comorbidity in COVID-19 patients, and it has been shown to increase the risk of hospitalization and mortality. Initial research suggested that renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors might raise the likelihood of viral infection and worsen illness severity, generating concern considering the global prevalence of hypertension. Nonetheless, further research supported the use of antihypertensive medicines, noting that they do not worsen the severity of COVID-19 infection in hypertensive individuals, but may have a favorable impact. To yet, the specific mechanism through which hypertension predisposes to adverse outcomes in COVID-19 individuals is unclear. In this study, we discuss the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and hypertension, as well as probable causes, with an emphasis on the dual roles of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in COVID-19 and hypertension. The effects of pro-inflammatory factors released by the immune system and gastrointestinal dysfunction in COVID-19 are also discussed, as well as how to manage hypertension with covid-19.
Keywords: Covid-19, hypertension, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), anti-hypertensive drugs, management