Hypertension a key fatality risk in coronavirus

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Eddy Edson

Eddy Edson

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apparently.

www.bloomberg.com

Top Coronavirus Doctor in Wuhan Says High Blood Pressure Is Major Death Risk

Patients with hypertension appear to be at a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus, said a top Chinese intensive care doctor who’s been treating critically ill patients since mid-January.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com

Patients with hypertension appear to be at a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus, said a top Chinese intensive care doctor who’s been treating critically ill patients since mid-January.

While there’s been no published research yet explaining why, Chinese doctors working in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus first emerged, have noticed that infected patients with that underlying illness are more likely to slip into severe distress and die.

Of a group of 170 patients who died in January in Wuhan -- the first wave of casualties caused by a pathogen that’s now raced around the world -- nearly half had hypertension.

“That’s a very high ratio,” said Du Bin, director of the intensive care unit at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, in an interview with Bloomberg over the phone from Wuhan. He was among a team of top doctors sent to the devastated city two months ago to help treat patients there.

“From what I was told by other doctors and the data I can see myself, among all the underlying diseases, hypertension is a key dangerous factor,” said Du, one of the most respected critical care experts in China.
 
I tended towards high blood pressure before going keto and was prescribed propranolol. I noticed that when I took it my ability to cope with aerobic exercise was reduced and while I wouldn't say I had difficulty breathing I definitely didn't breathe as freely. I came off the meds and my blood pressure is fine as long as I stick to keto and my breathing is easier again. So I wonder if the meds for high blood pressure may be a factor? I worry about a very close relative who is on morphine for pain because that is another med that interferes with breathing capacity especially while sleeping.
 
NotWorriedAtAll said:
I tended towards high blood pressure before going keto and was prescribed propranolol. I noticed that when I took it my ability to cope with aerobic exercise was reduced and while I wouldn't say I had difficulty breathing I definitely didn't breathe as freely. I came off the meds and my blood pressure is fine as long as I stick to keto and my breathing is easier again. So I wonder if the meds for high blood pressure may be a factor? I worry about a very close relative who is on morphine for pain because that is another med that interferes with breathing capacity especially while sleeping.
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That's a beta blocker - it restricts the upper limit of your heart rate, meaning your heart can't get the oxygen around your body quickly enough in aerobic exercise. I was put on similar medication after diagnosis and found I couldn't get back into my running :( I stopped taking them after a few months (with GP's agreement). I am now on a different type of BP med called candesarten, and fine with that.

So - I am over 60, have diabetes and asthma, and also on meds for hypertension - worrying! 😱
 
I wonder if you are familiar with the sayings of Dr Samuel Johnson?

"Depend upon it sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."

In a similar vein, it has not escaped my consideration that --

I will be 70 in April
I am treated for T2 diabetes with Metformin, Glargine, and Novorapid
I take Lisinopril for blood pressure
I use Symbicort for Adult Onset Asthma

Perhaps it would be easier all round if I just arranged to have myself put down in a few days time?

Has anyone seen the film 'Soylent Green?
 
Though thinking about it, maybe this just correlation, not causation?

Hypertension prevalence increases with age; eg in the US, 60%+ of 60+ year olds have it.

No idea what the picture is for China, but if it's similar, then on the face of it, zero surprise if ~50% of coro fatalities are hypertensive, given that most fatalities are older folk.

Of course that's still consistent with hypertension being a key driver, but without a study and a mechanism, not sure how you could infer it.

Also, males have a higher coro fatility rate, but at least in the West, hypertension is more common amongst older women than older men ...
 
I am concentrating on trying to be positive and hoping for the best while also being careful without being overly cautious.If the worst is going to happen I I intend to enjoy myself in the meantime while not causing any risk to anyone else.

Sending good vibes and best wishes (for all the good they may/may not do) to everyone. Take care and fingers crossed we'll be okay xx
 
Dr Amir Khan who I follow on Twitter , posted a video of himself on BBC breakfast, saying on the best things Diabetics and Astmatics, can do at this moment in time is to try and control themselves as best they can.
 
My husband is 72 and having smoked since he was about 11, a couple of years ago couldn't breathe and we had to dial 999, carted off to A&E on oxygen and spent a week on the Thoracic ward with what is COPD.

The medical staff and all the other patients in there with COPD said his doc would prescribe a 'Rescue Pack' - ie antibiotics and steroids to immediately start taking should he get symptoms of a cold, before he needed to dial 999 again. However here we are two years later and for whatever reason he still has to ring up for a scrip separately every time he gets symptoms - and in the winter, it seems to us that he gets them every time we've been in reasonably close proximity to more than about half a dozen other people, or simply out and about when it's cold outside. He'd like to take more exercise, really, he would. (use it or lose it) Vicious circle cos he's just putting on weight …….
 
trophywench said:
My husband is 72 and having smoked since he was about 11, a couple of years ago couldn't breathe and we had to dial 999, carted off to A&E on oxygen and spent a week on the Thoracic ward with what is COPD.

The medical staff and all the other patients in there with COPD said his doc would prescribe a 'Rescue Pack' - ie antibiotics and steroids to immediately start taking should he get symptoms of a cold, before he needed to dial 999 again. However here we are two years later and for whatever reason he still has to ring up for a scrip separately every time he gets symptoms - and in the winter, it seems to us that he gets them every time we've been in reasonably close proximity to more than about half a dozen other people, or simply out and about when it's cold outside. He'd like to take more exercise, really, he would. (use it or lose it) Vicious circle cos he's just putting on weight …….
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Do you think it is the old Postcode Lottery, again ! My friend's mum who lives near the south coast has antibiotics to hand to take if needs be.
 
No I don't - all the people in Coventry hospital at the same time, must come under the same CCG as our Dr's surgery!
 
trophywench said:
No I don't - all the people in Coventry hospital at the same time, must come under the same CCG as our Dr's surgery!
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Oh.
It was a thought, I know when I did a bit of community work many years ago, the people on differnt side of a particular road I visited, were served by differnt councils. As one was a Labour run one and the other a Conservative one, and there was a big difference in the services that were given to the elderly.
 
It was a reasonable question and quite specific to us as it happens, since the border between Coventry and Bedworth is on the Coventry side about 100yds from our house just over where our road crosses the M6.

Our GP surgery is actually on the same road further towards Coventry itself and hence we were able to stay with them when we moved from Coventry nearer to the surgery itself, to this house. Our postal address is Bedworth, we pay rates to Nuneaton & Bedworth. The nearest decent GP surgery in Bedworth is further from our house than the one we use and when we moved here 22 years ago, since the GP surgery and Cov hospital already knew 'all about' me plus Cov is a University Hospital hence further nearer the top of the list in pecking order (more robotics, scanners, etc etc) it made perfect sense to just stay there.

Our nearest Ambulance Station is also in Coventry just Coventry side of another road between Bedworth and Cov - hence they arrived within 7 minutes! Then before escorting him out to the ambulance they asked him if he wanted to go to UHCW, or to 'Nuneaton' hospital. Again, UHCW by now, already know all about Pete too, hence that's where he asked to go.
 
My surgery no longer takes people in my area but I have been with them over 35 years. I have a surgery around the corner to me, it has never had the best reputation. My surgery is still better than this one.
 
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