According to a study in the journal Hypertension, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical care were more substantial than previously known.
The study found that blood pressure levels rose during the recent pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively affected medical care for and self-management of chronic hypertension. We sought to examine the impact of the pandemic on blood pressure (BP) among individuals with hypertension,” the authors of the study elaborated in their paper.
“The first 8 months of the pandemic were associated with worsening BP outcomes among individuals with hypertension.”
“Opportunities to ensure ongoing access to health care with telemedicine and home BP monitoring may mitigate adverse impacts on BP control for future disasters/emergencies,” the authors concluded.
