TIPS FOR PERSONS WITH OBESITY, HEART CONDITIONS

Serious heart conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and pulmonary hypertension, may put people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

ACTIONS TO TAKE

Take your medication exactly as prescribed. Continue angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-II receptor blockers as prescribed by your healthcare provider for indications such as heart failure or high blood pressure. This is recommended by current clinical guidelines.

Make sure that you have at least a two-week supply of your heart disease medications (such as those to treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure).

People with hypertension should continue to manage and control their blood pressure and take their medication as directed.

WHY YOU MIGHT BE AT HIGHER RISK

COVID-19, like other viral illnesses such as the flu, can damage the respiratory system and make it harder for your heart to work. For people with heart failure and other serious heart conditions, this can lead to a worsening of COVID-19 symptoms.

Severe obesity, defined as a body mass index of 40 or above, puts people at higher risk for complications from COVID-19.

Take your medications for any underlying health conditions exactly as prescribed.

Severe obesity increases the risk of a serious breathing problem called acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is a major complication of COVID-19 and can cause difficulties with a doctor’s ability to provide respiratory support for seriously ill patients.

People living with severe obesity can have multiple serious chronic diseases and underlying health conditions that can increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.