Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most pressing health challenge in recent years. Meanwhile, prevention for other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been less prioritized during the pandemic. COVID-19, a novel infectious disease, both had a direct impact on public health and provoked changes in health-related behaviors, including those for CVD prevention. This study sought to examine changes in CVD-related health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and related sociodemographic factors.
Methods We used data from the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Awareness Survey conducted in Korea in June 2022. A total of 2,000 adults across Korea’s 17 provinces completed a structured questionnaire online or on a mobile device. Self-reported changes in CVD-related health behaviors were investigated. We used unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to explore the associations between negative changes and sociodemographic factors.
Results In smoking, drinking, and healthcare service use, the proportion of those with positive changes surpassed the proportion of respondents who reported negative changes. In contrast, negative changes predominated for diet, exercise, and stress. Most individuals (52.6%) reported a deterioration of psychological distress. These negative changes were significantly associated with age, sex, marital status, and the presence of cardiometabolic disease.
Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has affected CVD-related health behaviors. Based on these changes, CVD prevention should be encouraged with appropriate and prioritized strategies.
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Due to the high prevalence of hypertension, hypertensive patients undergo perioperative evaluation and management. Severe hypertension may increase the operative risk. However, hypertension with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 110 mmHg usually does not appear to increase the risk. In general, it is recommended that oral antihypertensive drugs be continued before and after surgery. In particular, sympathetic blockers, such as beta-blockers, should be maintained. It is generally recommended to continue intake of calcium channel blockers, especially for surgeries with a low bleeding risk. However, in the case of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, it is recommended that they be stopped 24 hours before surgery because they can inhibit excessive compensatory renin-angiotensin activation during surgery. Statin and aspirin medications are often prescribed for patients with hypertension. It is recommended to continue intake of statins in the perioperative period. Aspirins are recommended for low-risk patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.