P197 PULSE WAVE ANALYSIS IN POST COVID PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT DE NOVO ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARIO DE LOS ANDES (HULA) VENEZUELA. 2021-2023

Background and Objective: COVID 19 infection is characterized by an acute respiratory process that can range from mild to severe and has been related to short- and long-term complications. Post COVID 19 syndrome has been described among these long-term complications, where alterations in pulse wave velocity define vascular alteration, increasing risk of systemic arterial hypertension. The objective is analyze pulse wave velocity and arterial stiffness in post-COVID 19 patients with and without de novo arterial hypertension at the HULA, Venezuela between 2021-2023. Methods: Observational case-control study on pulse wave velocity in post-COVID-19 patients with and without de novo arterial hypertension in the HULA post-COVID-19 consultation, 2021-2023. Results: The sample consisted of 90 patients: 30 cases and 60 controls, there was no statistically significant difference in variables such as sex, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal circumference between both cohorts, with a predominance of the age group between 35 to 49 years with 33.3%, and less frequency at the extremes of life, where the group of 18-34 years and over 65 corresponded to 20%, there was a statistically significant association between syndrome post COVID 19 and arterial stiffness, the risk of de novo arterial hypertension was found to be 4.9 times and 7.9 times higher in the small and large vessel arterial stiffness group compared to the group without arterial stiffness, respectively. Conclusions: It is impressive that the age group between 35 and 49 years has a higher risk of developing arterial hypertension associated with COVID 19, the alteration of pulse wave analysis in the patients in the consultation post COVID 19 was associated with a higher risk of developing de novo arterial hypertension compared to those who did not present alterations.