# Why is hypertension considered a risk factor for coronavirus severity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-hypertension-considered-a-risk-factor-for-coronavirus-severity/849458>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 14, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-hypertension-considered-a-risk-factor-for-coronavirus-severity/849458 "2020-03-14T02:35:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-hypertension-considered-a-risk-factor-for-coronavirus-severity/849458/1 "2020-03-14T02:35:01Z")

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I do not know, do other people? I can only report theories I’ve heard.

One is that since hypertension is more common with age, it’s not relevant. Like saying wrinkled skin causes higher severity and death from coronavirus.

But I’ve also heard the ace receptor in your lungs is how the virus enters.

> **[ACE-2: The Receptor for SARS-CoV-2](https://www.rndsystems.com/resources/articles/ace-2-sars-receptor-identified)**
>
> A recent Cell paper used R&D Systems Anti-Human ACE-2 Antibody to show that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, uses ACE-2 as an entry receptor.

A theory I’ve heard, and I don’t know if it’s true, is that ace inhibitors and arbs increase the number of ace receptors which makes the virus worse.

> **[Re: Preventing a covid-19 pandemic: ACE inhibitors as a potential risk factor...](https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m810/rr-2)**

If so, would people with hypertension who are untreated see higher risk?

What about people treated with other drugs like diuretics, ccbs, beta blockers, etc?

Are only hypertensive on ace inhibitors or arbs at higher risk then?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-hypertension-considered-a-risk-factor-for-coronavirus-severity/849458/2 "2020-03-14T12:23:17Z")

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Hypertension is a leading cause of kidney disease and kidney failure. Hypertension can cause damage to the blood vessels and filters in the kidney, making removal of waste from the body difficult.

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-hypertension-considered-a-risk-factor-for-coronavirus-severity/849458/3 "2020-03-14T19:11:34Z")

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The ACE inhibitor connection is [intriguing](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=22172401) and I hear there are [top people](https://www.ices.on.ca/About-ICES) working on it.