Hypertension: Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Health Care Organizations

Hypertension: Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Health Care Organizations

A study published in the Alliance for Connected Care’s advisory board member American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension found that the availability of telemedicine may have helped mitigate the rise in blood pressure (BP) levels that was observed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers found that blood pressure levels noticeably increased in the eight months after stay-at-home orders were issued in comparison to the roughly 18 month period before the pandemic. Researchers recommended that opportunities to ensure ongoing access to health care with telemedicine and home BP monitoring may mitigate adverse impacts on BP control for future disasters or emergencies.