Louisiana coronavirus: 59% of patients who died suffered from high blood pressure – The News Star

Visitors entering the Louisiana Capitol are greeted by this sign.(Photo: Greg Hilburn/USA Today Network)

BATON ROUGE Louisiana reported59% percent of coronavirus patients who died suffered with high blood pressure as an underlying condition as the state's death toll rose to 2,458 Tuesday.

The state health department reported 18 more COVID-19 related deaths Tuesday.

Louisiana's Department of Health also reported 329 new cases for a total of 35,038.

But the number of hospitalizations and patients on ventilators, key metrics when measuring the infection's reach, declined Monday.

The health department reported 1,004 hospitalizations, down by 27, and 112 patients on ventilators, down by six.

Other leading underlying conditions in patients who died include: diabetes (37%);cardiac disease (21%);obesity (20%);chronic kidney disease (20%);congestive heart failure (13%);pulmonary (12%);neurological (8%); cancer (8%); and asthma (4%).

Many of the patients who died suffered more than one underlying condition.

Louisiana is in its first week of Phase 1 reopening of the economy. Phase 1 runs through June 5.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Mondayhe is optimistic the state can move to Phase 2 by June 5, but to do so Louisiana must continue to show a downward trend of symptoms, cases (by percentage of tests administered) and hospitalizations.

GregHilburncovers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

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Louisiana coronavirus: 59% of patients who died suffered from high blood pressure - The News Star