Evidence of a Blood Pressure Reduction During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Lockdown Period: Insights from e-Health Data.

Despite widespread investigation into the incidence of acute myocardial infarction during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated lockdown, no study has examined the situation's impact on blood pressure (BP) levels. Measurements of BP and heart rate (HR) were obtained from persons living in the Paris urban area using connected home BP monitors (accessible to patients and health providers through a secured server). Three time periods of e-health recordings were compared: during the pandemic before the lockdown, during the lockdown, and the same time period in 2019. A total of 297,089 BP recordings from 2,273 participants (age 56.3 ± 12.8 years, 81.1% male) were made. During confinement, systolic BP gradually decreased by 3 mmHg (-2.4 to -3.9), and diastolic BP by 1.5 mmHg (-1.4 to -2.2) (all < 0.001); this decrease was greater for participants with higher BP ( < 0.0001 each). No significant variation in HR was noted. Among a very large cohort, we observed a significant decrease in home BP measured with e-health devices during the first lockdown period. This study emphasizes the research potential of e-health during the COVID-19 crisis.