Objective: Soon after the outbreak of the pandemic, uncontrolled hypertension was recognized as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 while concerns were raised that RAAS-i may increase the susceptibility and the severity of disease The study aims to assess patients' perception on risks associated with hypertension Design and method: Hypertension patients visiting the emergency (non-COVID) department or the outpatient clinics of a tertiary hospital in Northern Greece were invited to participate by completing a short questionnaire This observational study was conducted during the first and the much more forceful ongoing second wave The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used to measure the frequency and severity of depression and anxiety Results: 373 hypertensive patients (205 women, 55 0%) participated (mean age 63 6±9 4 years), with 341 (91 4%) taking RAAS-i About half (191, 51 2%) were taking RAAS-i for hypertension, while the rest for other indications The vast majority (364, 97 6%) were alert that hypertension was a risk factor for COVID-19, although only 1 in 8 were informed that it mainly implied uncontrolled/untreated hypertension Most of the patients (347, 93 0%) had heard that antihypertensive drugs might be harmful (mainly from TV reports), though only 199 (58 4%) of the patients taking RAAS-i knew they were taking such drugs Moreover, 176 patients (47 2%), mostly during second wave, conducted their doctor and eventually 17 altered therapy Participants during second wave reported higher chances of getting COVID-19, with the majority believing they are more susceptible and expecting more severe disease The mean Beck's anxiety and depression score was 10 7 ± 7 1 and 12 2 ± 9 3 respectively, with the prevalence of significant anxiety (BAI&gt;=10) or depression (BDI&gt;=17) reaching 11% (41 patients) and 6 2% (23 patients), with as expected, higher scores for second wave patients Disturbingly, only 20 patients (5 4%) had been informed of the position of major scientific Conclusions: Greek patients are concerned of hypertension association with COVID-19 although not properly informed that it implies mainly uncontrolled/ untreated hypertension Hypertensive patients seem worried about the pandemic which is mirrored into anxiety and depression scores Nevertheless they lack information from scientific societies
Hypertension associated risks during the COVID-19 pandemic: The patients' perception