Treatment with corticosteroids (especially prednisolone ≥20 mg/day or equivalent) is associated with an increased risk of infection. However, it is unclear whether corticosteroid therapy is associated with an increased risk of developing COVID-19 or its complications. Data on budesonide, a topical corticosteroid with low systemic bioavailability, show that these drugs are associated with significantly fewer side effects compared to systemic corticosteroids and their side effects are close to placebo. If possible, corticosteroids should be avoided and a rapid dose reduction considered, and a switch to budesonide is recommended. This must be taken into account, taking into account the risk of exacerbation of CKD. If a patient with COPD is in contact with a person with COVID-19 or develops COVID-19, it is recommended to gradually reduce the dose of corticosteroids, the use of budesonide is preferred, but taking into account the severity of COPD and the risk of exacerbation.
Considering that a similar picture took place in previous years, in Ukraine there was an accumulation of a layer susceptible to poliomyelitis among the child population. In addition, since April 2016, the oral (live) polio vaccine (OPV), which is used in Ukraine, since the 3rd vaccination, does not contain type 2 poliovirus (two-component OPV, which is now used worldwide, contains only polioviruses). ). type ov1 and 3). This also contributes to a decrease in both individual and population immunity to type 2 poliovirus. The result was an outbreak of poliomyelitis caused by vaccine-derived type 2 poliovirus (a vaccine-derived virus that acquired neurovirulent properties during circulation in a low immune population.). There was no adequate response to this outbreak, namely additional vaccination rounds for children under 6 years of age to stop the circulation of the vaccine-related virus. In January 2022, a new outbreak emerged.
Moreover, low vitamin D levels common in patients with CVD may increase the risk and severity of COVID-19. This is because vitamin D increases levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduces viral replication, which in turn can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to lung damage. Despite the lack of evidence demonstrating increased susceptibility to COVID-19, drugs used in the treatment of COPD increase the risk of respiratory tract infections to varying degrees. However, theoretically, some immunosuppressive drugs may have beneficial effects, given that the cause of death in COVID-19 is a cytokine storm leading to acute respiratory failure.
The most common diseases associated with hypertension include: obesity, primarily abdominal obesity (AO), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), arrhythmias and conduction disorders, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cerebrovascular diseases , joint diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea syndrome, thyroid disease and other endocrine diseases. In this regard, the 2018 European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology guidelines emphasized the need for careful stratification of cardiovascular and overall risk of complications in order to select the most optimal antihypertensive therapy.