
Persons who are taking medication for hypertension and diabetes have an increased risk of contracting severe and fatal coronavirus-COVID-19.
This is according to a study published in the Lancet.
The researchers investigated three different instances to form their conclusion. They found that 32 non-survivors from a group of 52 intensive care unit patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes.
Another study included 1099 patients with confirmed COVID-19. 173 of these patients had severe hypertension along with diabetes, coronary heart diseases and cerebrovascular disease.
In a third study, of 140 patients who were admitted to hospital with coronavirus, 30 percent had hypertension and 12 percent had diabetes.
These patients were often treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors medication.
These medications, according to the researchers facilitates the infection of the coronavirus-COVID-19.