They discovered why COVID-19 affects more men – Diseases

Men have higher levels of an enzyme in the blood used by the new coronavirus to infect cells, according to a large European study cited by Reuters. This explains why men are more vulnerable to the virus than women.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found in the heart, kidneys, and other organs. It is believed to play a role in the progression of COVID-19 to the lungs.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, also found that ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) did not increase ACE2 levels and therefore should not increase the risk of COVID-19. for receivers. people, BTA reports.

These medications are prescribed for people with congestive heart failure, diabetes, or kidney disease.

“The results do not support the need to stop taking these drugs in patients with COVID-19,” said Adrian Vors, a professor of cardiology at the University of Groningen Medical Center, one of the study leaders.

The new coronavirus has infected more than four million people worldwide. Men get sicker than women and also have more complications.

European experts analyzed the results of thousands of men and women by measuring the concentration of ACE2 in blood samples taken from 3,500 patients with heart failure from 11 European countries. The study started before the pandemic and therefore does not include Kovid-19 patients. When other studies began pointing to ACE2 as key to the penetration of the new coronavirus into cells, Vors and his team saw a significant overlap with their own research.

“When we discovered that one of the strongest biomarkers for ACE2 is much higher in men than women, we realized that this may explain why men are more likely to die from COVID-19 than women,” he said. q Izia Sama, who also directs the study.

ACE2 is a cell surface receptor that binds to the new coronavirus, allowing it to enter and infect them.

Sama and Vors point out that, in addition to the heart, kidneys, and tissues that line the blood vessels, ACE2 is found at particularly high levels in the testicles. This may explain why men are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

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