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Coronaviruses

COVID-19 Research Suggests ACE Inhibitors and ARBs May Increase Infection Risk

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Fresh data on Coronavirus - COVID-19 were presented in a new report by researchers at Heidelberg University, indicating that ACE inhibitors and ARBs may increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study analyzed animal studies and found that renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers may increase the expression of ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. This research has significant implications for the treatment of non-COVID-19 patients and may lead to a better understanding of the relationship between RAAS blockers and COVID-19.

Key Takeaways:

  • ACE2 is the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, and RAAS blockers may increase its expression, potentially increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • The study analyzed 25 studies involving 330,780 patients and found that ACE inhibitor treatment was associated with a 26% reduction in pneumonia risk (odds ratio [OR]: 0.74, P < 0.001).
  • ACE inhibitors and ARBs may reduce all-cause mortality due to non-COVID-19 pneumonia.
  • The study concluded that RAAS blockers could potentially increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and that more research is needed to understand this relationship.
  • The research was funded by the China Scholarship Council and has been peer-reviewed for publication in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
  • The study's authors include Berthold Hocher, Chang Chu, Shufei Zeng, Ahmed A. Hasan, Carl-Friedrich Hocher, and Bernhard K. Kraemer.

Statistics:

  • 25 studies involving 330,780 patients were analyzed in the study.
  • ACE inhibitor treatment was associated with a 26% reduction in pneumonia risk (odds ratio [OR]: 0.74, P < 0.001).
  • 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids, Adrenal Cortex Hormones, Aldosterone, Angiotensins, Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases, Autacoids, Biological Factors, Clinical Medicine, Coronavirus, Enzymes and Coenzymes, Health and Medicine, Hydrolases, Infectious Disease, Lung Diseases and Conditions, Mortality, Neuropeptides, Oligopeptides, Peptide Hormones, Peptide Hydrolases, Peptide Proteins, Peptides, Pneumonia, Prognosis, Proprotein Convertases, Proteins, Pulmonology, RNA Viruses, Renin, Respiratory Tract Diseases and Conditions, Respiratory Tract Infections, Risk and Prevention, SARS-CoV-2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, Viral, Virology.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers at Heidelberg University Have Reported New Data on COVID-19 (Comparison of Infection Risks and Clinical Outcomes In Patients With and Without Sars-cov-2 Lung Infection Under Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone System Blockade: Systematic ...). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. January 24, 2021; p 511.
  • British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. (2020). Comparison of Infection Risks and Clinical Outcomes In Patients With and Without Sars-cov-2 Lung Infection Under Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone System Blockade: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

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