Introduction:

People with chronic diseases are vulnerable to disruption of care and stress with the COVID-19 pandemic. Their post-confinement cardiovascular risk needs to be reassessed.

Objective:

To assess the impact of confinement and modifications in health care system on the health of people with chronic diseases in a Basic Health Zone in Toledo during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Analytical, observational, longitudinal, retrospective study. Patients with chronic pathologies. Random sample 420. Review of clinical records to collect clinical/metabolic parameters before and after confinement. Number and type of nursing visits and hospital admissions before, during and after confinement.

Results:

349 records were evaluated. Mean age 65.36 and 52.7% were men. It was found that after confinement there was a significant decrease in weight (p=0.046) and increase in diastolic blood pressure (p=0.018) in the whole sample. The decrease in weight was greater in women, patients aged >65 years, those with hypertension and those with hyperlipidemia. In terms of clinical variables that increased post-confinement Figures, an increase in LDL cholesterol was observed in patients aged >65 (p=0.005). Increased diastolic blood pressure in women (p=0.005), patients aged >65 (p=0.022) and those with hypertension (p=0.038) and increased systolic blood pressure in women (p=0.041).

Increased post-confinement admissions (p=0.001); 57.1% of admissions were related to their chronic pathology and a decrease in nursing visits during and post-confinement (p=0.000).

Conclusions:

Chronic patients have worsened conditions related to their pathology during and after confinement. Decreased face-to-face patient care during this period could be a contributing factor to this situation.

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