flu and blood pressure

[Gleevec]

Hi,
I tried searching on the internet, but didnt have much luck. What effect, if any, does having the flu have on blood pressure? I can imagine how having a fever would raise blood pressure, but does having the flu by itself (along with the increased immune activity) result in higher blood pressure? If so, by about how much would your BP go up?

Thanks for any help you can provide,
Gleevec

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[goobernaculum]

I would think that if a viral infection were robust enough, it would lead to hypotension if anything, no? Considering all the various cytokines (e.g.- TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6) that might follow a more chronic immune response I'm not sure if hypertension is a worrisome symptom. I don't think that it's really considered in the flu? Have you heard otherwise?

my 2 cents.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

i agree. i wouldn't think that measurable hypertension would be expected from a typical influenza infection. the inflammatory cytokines would be there pushing a Th-1 response. you don't have to worry about LPS and sepsis so you are otay there. a major loss in fluids and electrolytes could jack you, and the body could respond with sympathetic and renin-ADH mechanisms. patients with severe lung involvement (perhaps overlying disease and age/nutritional status/immuno-comprimised) could present with respiratory failure. the respiratory failure could trigger a whole skew of things, including sympathetics-EPO-and such. so i guess maybe in this case you could see an increase in blood pressure.

eh.....

 

[coldsteel]

I believe that both the fever and dehydration resulting from influenza would cause hypotension.