Hypertension and symptoms dynamics following hospitalization for COVID-19: the results of a 12-months follow-up | Ukrainian Medical Journal

The article presents the results of a 12-month observational study of the dynamics of natural resolution of physical, respiratory, and cognitive symptoms following hospitalization for COVID-19, depending on the presence of hypertension.

Material and methods. 221 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (mean age 53.4±13.6 years; 53% women) were surveyed 1–2 days before discharge, after 1, 3 and 12 months using the MRC Dyspnea scale, CAT and CCQ questionnaires, the physical symptoms subscale of the EFTER-COVID questionnaire, and the Memory, Thinking, and Communication subscale of the SBQ-LC questionnaire.

Results. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a history of hypertension showed similar trends in resolution of physical and cognitive symptoms during the 12-month follow-up period, but had higher levels of residual respiratory symptoms and dyspnea compared to normotensive participants, while the latter were characterized by significantly higher levels of new cognitive symptoms as assessed by the corresponding SBQ-LC questionnaire subscale.

Conclusion. History of hypertension was associated with specific phenotypic features of the post-covid syndrome and can be used to create predictive models of its development.

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