Global burden of new-onset hypertension associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection

Several reports documented a specific effect of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on blood pressure (BP), during and after the acute phase of infection. Clinical studies demonstrated that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with an increased risk of a persistent increase in BP requiring a new or intensified anti-hypertensive treatment during hospitalization. The picture is further complicated by the evidence from large databases showing an increased risk of new-onset hypertension in COVID-19 survivors on the long term. To further elucidate the epidemiological burden of this phenomenon, we performed a pooled analysis of 4 studies reporting crude incidence rates of new-onset hypertension among COVID-19 patients and contemporary controls. Overall, COVID-19 was associated with a 65% increased risk of new-onset hypertension when compared with controls (p<0.0001); furthermore, incidence of new-onset hypertension was 9% and 5% among COVID-19 patients and controls, respectively. In both the acute phase and recovery from infection, the interaction between spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors remain the most plausible mechanism explaining the raise in BP (ranking new onset hypertension as one of the most prevalent cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19). In this area of research, it is worth to mention that new variants of SARS-CoV-2 exhibit specific mutations in the spike protein that promotes entry into viral cells via ACE2. Thus, the enhanced spike affinity for ACE2 of new variants has the potential to increase the risk of new-onset hypertension when compared with the original Wuhan strain.