I have heart disease or cardiovascular risk factors. My risk of COVID-19 infection is higher? About 11% of patients infected had heart disease or cardiovascular risk factors. As of today, we cannot say that patients with heart disease or risk factors are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection. I have high blood pressure and I take medication. Do my medications increase the risk of infection or aggravate the situation if I am infected? It was reported by the media that some medicines for high blood pressure could aggravate the infection. In the affected Chinese population, only 7% were taking this type of medication, so at the present time we cannot make any kind of statement. The recommendations of scientific societies are that at the moment medication for high blood pressure should not be stopped. Competent authorities and physicians are monitoring this situation closely and if new recommendations arise, patients will be alerted. It is important to remember that suspending medication for high blood pressure can put your health at risk and lead to myocardial infarction or stroke, among others. Is COVID-19 infection more serious if you have heart disease or cardiovascular risk factors? Apparently having cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure increases the infection severity. About 1 in 4 of critically ill patients had at least one risk factor or heart disease. Thus, people with heart disease belong to a risk group. They must protect themselves, not leave their homes and reduce social contacts to the strictly essential. Authors Cardiology Team of Hospital da Luz Setúbal Reference Elissa Driggin, Mahesh V. Madhavan, Behnood Bikdeli, Taylor Chuich, Justin Laracy, Giuseppe Bondi-Zoccai, et al. Cardiovascular considerations for patients, health care workers, and health systems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. J Am College Cardiol 2020 [in press]. Click here for more information and advice of Hospital da Luz about the novel coronavírus COVID-19 epidemic . The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
