The global coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an unprecedented, global public health crisis. Epidemiological studies showed that hypertension is a frequent comorbidity, as well as an independent prognostic risk factor in patients with COVID-19. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) is a receptor for SARS-CoV-2, and thus essential for viral entry into human cells. This review summarizes the recent findings of epidemiology of hypertension in COVID-19 patients and highlights the critical role of ACE2. We also review the impact of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and arterial stiffness in promoting hypertension and cardiovascular disease in COVID-19 patients. This review also discusses therapeutic strategies for managing hypertension in patients with COVID-19, with particular emphasis on ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.