NEW ONSET OF HYPERTENSION IN PATIENTS ADMITTED FOR INFECTION WITH SARS-COV-2 VIRUS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the clinical particularities and the lab tests in patients hospitalized for SARS-COV2 infection, with new onset of hypertension on admission.

DESIGN AND METHOD: We performed a retrospective study on 217 patients admitted to a Clinical Emergency Hospital between January 2021 and October 2021.

RESULTS: We had 217 patients admitted in internal medicine clinic for infection with SARS-COV2 virus, most of them with moderate and severe form of disease. From them, 148 patients had hypertension, 83.78% with medical history of hypertension and 16.22% with new onset of high blood pressure on admission. Patients were aged between 23 and 99 years, with an average age of 65 years. In comparison, the patients with new onset of hypertension (subgroup 1) were aged between 37 and 90 years, with an average age of 66 years. The most affected group of age was 60-69 years.In subgroup 1, the gender distribution was: 58.33% male, 41.66% female.At admission, the stages of SARS-COV2 infection in subgroup 1, according to CT examination, were severe in 52.38%, moderate 19.04%, and mild 28.57% of patients.As comorbidities in subgroup 1: cancer in 8.33%, metabolic syndrome 54.16%, dyslipidemia 4.16%, obesity 50%, type II diabetes mellitus 45.83%, chronic heart failure in 12.5% of cases (37.5% NYHA I class, 54.16% NYHA II class and 8.3% NYHA III class), atrial fibrillation in 12.5%, atherosclerosis in 16.66%, anxiety disorders in 4.16% and dementia in 8.33% of cases.High levels of inflammatory markers in Subgroup 1: CRP in 95.83%, procalcitonin in 87.5%, ferritin 79.16%, D-dimers in 83.33%, troponin 4.16%, NT-proBNP in 50% of cases.Decreased GFR was found in 65.21% of patients. Microalbuminuria was present in 29.16% of patients.The antihypertensive medication during hospitalization was: diuretics in 45.83%% of cases, betablockers in 33.34%, calcium blockers in 8.33%, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in 16.67%.

CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension with new onset during SARS-COV2 infection and its persistence in post-covid syndrome may have complex pathogenic mechanisms and require personalized therapeutic decision.