It’s pretty clear that those most at risk are those with other underlying conditions (most notably, I think, obesity and diabetes, which themselves often go hand in hand).
High blood pressure is one of them, but has anyone seen any numbers that indicate that it can be in and of itself? I’d bet that the rate of bad outcomes for someone (like me) who only has hypertension is pretty low. The reason that it is listed as one of the underlying conditions is that large number of people with other condition also have it. That is, other than my slightly superannuated condition and that, I don’t think I’m at high risk.
It would appear to be a combination of age and hypertension.
Hypertension would appear to be a leading co-moribidity if I’m reading Table 3 correctly, but age seems to also be a major factor. The further you are away from age 60 the better your chances even with hypertension. This is based on numbers from Wuhan:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2763184
By further away I meant younger than.
There was a suggestion that the high comorbidity with hypertension was more a result of the drugs used to treat it.
If that’s the case, maybe I should quit taking them, since they don’t seem to help much anyway.
Rand,
Somewhat a side comment, but…I’d request as a favor that when you refer to “…obesity and diabetes…” in a context like this you distinguish Type 1 from Type 2 diabetes. Now it’s entirely conceivable that *both* could be significant COVID-19 co-morbidity factors, but Type 1 and Type 2 are *very* different maladies that just happen to share significant overlaps in symptomology and treatment methods (…a large part of why for so very long in history, and to a large degree even today outside the T1 and T2 communities, the distinction was/is not seen very clearly). Not the same pathology, and unlike Type 2, Type 1 onset usually has little if anything to do with obesity, at least statistically speaking. As a 42-year (as of tomorrow, so it happens…;-) T1D, I’m sensitive to the difference (…but then…you knew that! ;-).
Otherwise, BZ, Man, and keep the knuckleheads jumpin’!
–James
I was under the impression that many Type 1 diabetic patients struggle with their weight — something about insulin injections stimulating hunger?
Whenever these discussions come up, there is always the stigma of having a condition that is “your own darned fault, don’t you know it.” Is this Disease Shaming?
If you are a smoker and come down with lung cancer, well, you had been warned whereas if you are a non-smoker who has a lung cancer, after answering the question for the zillionth time whether you had smoked, there is that awkward pause of your questioner not knowing what do say next.
It is your fault — you should have had your house tested and then “remediated” for radon, you don’t keep your house dust free and you “got cancer” from the radon “daughter particles” sticking to the mess in your house, and so on.
Yes, I should have made the distinction. I’ve certainly never known you to be overweight. I’m convinced that Type 2 is caused by terrible nutrition advice from the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry, for decades.
If you have hypertension try to reduce sodium chloride intake and/or increasing potassium chloride intake. There are tablets for that.
You can also eat foods rich in potassium, like oranges or bananas.
Another thing which lowers blood pressure is calcium so that’s another thing to consider.