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Clinical Summary

Antihypertensive Therapy and COVID-19 Outcomes in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Takeaway

  • The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19-related mortality and the use of calcium channel blockers (CCB) was associated with a lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisation in men.
  • The use of angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) was associated with a lower risk of COVID-19-related mortality in women.

Why this matters

  • Findings suggest that clinicians should adopt different cardiovascular disease treatment approaches for women and men with COVID-19.

Study design

  • The study included 77,221 participants (age, 50-86 years) from the UK Biobank who were tested for COVID-19.
  • The association between different cardiovascular medications and the risk of testing positive, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 in men and women was evaluated.
  • Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Key results

  • Among the middle-aged and older participants, no significant associations were seen between any class of medications and the likelihood of COVID-19 infection.
  • In men with COVID-19:
    • ACEI use was linked to an increased risk of COVID-19-related mortality (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.32; P=.040).
    • CCB use was associated with a lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisation (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79-0.96; P=.005).
  • In women with COVID-19, ARB use was associated with a lower risk of COVID-19-related mortality (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47-0.96; P=.028).

Limitations

  • Study may not reflect changes in actual drug exposure during follow-up.
 

Ma Y, Zhang Y, Li S, Yang H, Li H, Cao Z, Xu F, Sun L, Wang Y. Sex Differences in Association Between Anti-Hypertensive Medications and Risk of COVID-19 in Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Drugs Aging. 2021 Aug 18 [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1007/s40266-021-00886-y. PMID: 34405381. View full text

This clinical summary originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.

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