Drugs thought to exacerbate coronavirus infections may actually help people recover – BGR

• Three separate observational studies analyzed the use of certain blood pressure medications that some coronavirus patients may be taking and concluded that the medications were not a risk factor for COVID-19 .
• The drugs analyzed by doctors are angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and some are believed to affect the ACE2 protein bound by the virus.
• The findings are relevant because people who suffer from high blood pressure need to keep their blood pressure whether they are infected with the new virus or not.
• For more stories, please visit the BGR home page.

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Hypertension and other types of cardiovascular disease are all factors for people infected with the new coronavirus. The older the patient, the higher the risk of developing potentially life-threatening COVID-19 complications. However, research continues to provide good news that can improve outcomes and increase chances of survival in severe coronavirus cases. Earlier this week, I heard that lemdecivir would be the standard treatment for COVID-19 Can reduce recovery time. Extensive research found no conclusive evidence that the drug could reduce deaths. As a result, people can still die from the complications of COVID-19. But vaccine research is progressing at an alarming rate, and vaccines may be ready for emergency use as soon as this fall. General population May be one in January If all goes well In at least some countries.

Returning to the very common state of hypertension, researchers from three separate teams share the same good news. Certain hypertensive agents that may interact with the ACE2 cell receptor bound by the SARS-CoV-2 virus are not risk factors for COVID-19 patients. This means that doctors can continue to prescribe much-needed medications, as previously rumored, without worrying about bringing the risk of controlling hypertension to patients with coronavirus.

There are different cohorts of COVID-19 patients and another observational study examining the effects of their blood pressure drugs on disease outcome. Observational studies are not as powerful as studies such as the recent lemdesibir trial, where the effects of drugs have been observed compared to placebo. However, they are still relevant. “I am confident that three studies with different designs in different populations will reach a consistent message.” NEJM According to the editorial.

There are many therapies that control hypertension, but researchers looked at angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Agence France-Presse report. Some of these drugs are also given to diabetics to protect their kidneys. Diabetic often High blood pressure.

ACE inhibitors include drugs that end in “-pril”, such as ramipril and lisinopril, while ARBs include drugs that end in “-sartan,” such as valsartan and losartan. Interestingly, Losartan was one of the drugs According to a story we recently heard, it is a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients.

AFP There has been concern from animal studies that these drugs may increase the levels of ACE2, the receptor to which the novel coronavirus connects to enter lung cells and initiate replication. Three separate studies New England Medical Journal (NEJM) On Friday.

“We found no difference in the likelihood of a positive test with an ACE inhibitor using an angiotensin receptor blocker,” Harmony Reynolds of New York University Grossman School of Medicine said. AFP. She Led research Her discovery was reassuring as there were 12,600 people, and many patients asking her if they should stop their blood pressure medications after she read the news. I’m very happy to tell patients that they should continue their drug treatment of their blood pressure, “she said.

Doctors said this finding is important because lockdown life can have some adverse effects on patients with heart disease, such as increased blood pressure “due to stress, lack of exercise, and dietary differences.”

Ah Another study A study led by Mandeep Mehra and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that ACE and ARB drugs could reduce the risk of death from COVID-19. However, these findings have not been corroborated by other findings and may require further investigation. The study had 8,910 patients from 169 hospitals.

of Third study 6,272 COVID-19 patients led by Giuseppe Mancia were observed in Lombardy, Italy, and compared with a control group of 30,759. “This large population-based study used more ACE inhibitors and ARB in COVID-19 patients than in controls because of the higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease,” the study wrote. . “But there was no evidence that ACE inhibitors or ARBs affected the risk of COVID-19.”

Another observational study of evolution Of about 5,700 coronavirus patients Found that those who died of coronavirus complications and were taking medications for hypertension were less likely to receive ventilation or ICU care than those without hypertension. did.

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