The proportion of hypertensive patients with blood pressure (BP) control declined considerably in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided the data from 24 health systems in the country is representative of national trends.

The fall in blood pressure control corresponded with a decline in follow-up visits for uncontrolled hypertension from the same data source, stated investigators. The BP Track study collected electronic medical data of around 1.8 million patients with hypertension between 2017 and 2020. Till the end of 2019 and before the pandemic started, a little less than 60% of the patients had blood pressure control (BP <140/90 mmHg). When assessed from the start of the pandemic until the end of last year, the proportion of patients with BP under control declined by 7.2%, to just above 50%. For the target BP of <130/80 mm Hg, the proportion dropped 4.6% over the same period, with only about 25% at that level of control. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions… (Medscape)