BP drugs may improve COVID-19 survival rates, study says

Medication for high blood pressure may improve COVID-19 survival rates, and reduce severity of vel coronavirus infection, particularly in patients with hypertension, according to a study. Researchers from University of East Anglia (UEA) in UK studied 28,000 patients taking antihypertensives - a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure.

study, published in journal Current Arosclerosis Reports, found that risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death was reduced for patients with high blood pressure who were taking Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB).

"We kw that patients with cardiovascular diseases are at particular risk of severe Covid-19 infection," said le researcher Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA's rwich Medical School.

"But at start of pandemic, re was concern that specific medications for high blood pressure could be linked with worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients," Vassiliou said.

researchers, including those from rfolk and rwich University Hospital, analysed what impact of se medications is for people with COVID-19. y studied outcomes for patients taking antihypertensives, looking particularly at what is called 'critical' outcomes such as being mitted to intensive care or being put on a ventilator, and death.

team analysed data from 19 studies related to COVID-19 and ACEi and ARB medications. researchers ted that ir meta-analysis involved more than 28,000 patients and is largest and most detailed such study to date. y compared data from COVID-19 patients who were taking ACEi or ARB medications with those who were t focusing on wher y experienced 'critical' events and death.

"We found that a third of COVID-19 patients with high blood pressure and a quarter of patients overall were taking an ACEi/ARBs. This is likely due to increasing risk of infection in patients with co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes, said Vassiliou.

"But really important thing that we showed was that re is evidence that se medications might increase severity of COVID-19 or risk of death, he said.

On contrary, researchers found that re was a significantly lower risk of death and critical outcomes, so y might, in fact, have a protective role -- particularly in patients with hypertension. COVID-19 patients with high blood pressure who were taking ACEi/ARB medications were 0.67 times less likely to have a critical or fatal outcome than those t taking se medications, according to study.

"Our research provides substantial evidence to recommend continued use of se medications if patients were taking m alrey, said Vassiliou.

"However, we are t able to dress wher starting such tablets acutely in patients with Covid-19 might improve ir progsis, as mechanism of action might be different," he ded.