ACE and hypertensive heart disease: Similarly, it has been hypothesised that SARS-CoV-2 might affect the pancreas and thereby increase the risk of new onset diabetes, as well as cause exacerbation of existing diabetes, leading to increased risk of deaths.33 The excess mortality rates were particularly high for hypertensive heart disease, which could be due to poor control of hypertension during the lockdown and possible interaction of SARS-CoV-2 infection with certain antihypertensive drugs, such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.