Certain medications with high blood pressure can help reduce the severity of disease and mortality rates for those infected with the new coronavirus, according to a new study published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia looked at 19 studies in the meta-analysis involving about 28,000 patients taking antihypertensive drugs, such as Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEi) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) ) and found that they were less at risk of serious illness and death by the virus than those who did not take the medication. The researchers stated in the university’s news release that they looked at “critical” outcomes of patients, such as ICU admissions, being put on a ventilator, and death.
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“Hypertensive patients with COVID-19 who were on ACEi / ARB were 0.67 times less likely to have a fatal / critical outcome than those not on ACEi / ARB. ACEi / ARB was also associated with a significantly lower risk of death in hypertensive patients, “the researchers stated.
“COVID-19 high blood pressure patients taking ACEi / ARB medication were 0.67 times less likely to have a critical or fatal outcome than those not taking these medications,” she added.
Certain high blood pressure medications can help coronavirus reduce the severity of the disease and reduce mortality rates, according to a new study
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“We know that patients with cardiovascular disease are at particular risk of severe COVID-19 infection. But at the beginning of the pandemic, there were concerns that specific high blood pressure medications could be linked to worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients, “said lead researcher Dr. Vassilios Vassiliou of the UEA’s Norwich Medical School, saying in a university news release.
The researchers found that not only was there no evidence that the medications could increase the severity of the virus as coronavirus-related death, but noted they found that “there was a significantly lower risk of death and critical outcomes, so they, in fact, , have a protective role – especially in patients with hypertension, “Vassiliou stated in the release.
The lead researcher said that one-third of the infected patients had high blood pressure and a quarter of the patients, in general, took ace inhibitors and ace receptor blockers. He attributed this to the increased risk of the virus appearing in those who have co-morbidities such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
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It is important to understand the relationship that these medications have in coronavirus patients, as the population is preparing for a potential second wave of COVID-19, the researchers said.
“Our research provides substantial evidence to recommend continued use of these medications if the patients are already taking them,” Vassiliou added, “However, we are unable to address whether such tablets start acute in patients with COVID-19’s prognosis. can improve, because the mechanism of action may be different, “he added.
The authors also pointed out that this was an observational meta-analysis and not a randomized controlled trial.
