Short Communication - Archives of General Internal Medicine (2021) Volume 5, Issue 4

ACEIs or ARBs are safe in patients with COVID-19 results of a prospective study on a hospital based cohort

Aim of the study: To explore the hypothesis that the often unfavorable outcome of COVID–19 in elderly hypertensive patients might be mediated by the treatment with Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) inhibitors because of the enhancing effect on ACE2 receptors that represent the binding site of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Methods: Prospective study on 221 (M/F ratio=143/78, mean age 72+13) consecutive hypertensive patients with COVID-19:76 (34.4%) treated with ACEIs, 63 (28.5%) with ARBs and 82 (37.1%) with antihypertensives other than ACEIs or ARBs. They were all followed up until discharge or death. Bad: Outcome was defined as need of invasive mechanical ventilation or death.

Results: The three classes of medication were well balanced for confounding variables. Bad outcome was overall recorded in 63/221 (28%) patients, in 20/76 (26%) of ACEI, in 17/63 (27%) of ARB and in 26/82 (32%) of other users, with no statistically significant difference on any comparison.

Conclusion: These findings refute the hypothesis that treatment with ACEIs or ARBs may negatively affect the course of COVID-19.

Author(s): Gian Paolo Anzola*, Clara Bartolaminelli

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