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A few months ago, when the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic had just begun to develop, it was suspected that a group of drugs used in hypertension could be causing a more severe course of COVID-19. However, new research contradicts this.
- People with hypertension should not stop taking their medications because of concerns about the severe course of COVID-19
- For people taking certain medications for other reasons, researchers did not see any effect on the development of COVID-19 disease
People with high blood pressure should not stop taking medications because of COVID-19
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) medical school in Norwich looked at the effects of taking popular medications on coronavirus patients with a variety of conditions.
In an analysis of the studies, they found that people with high blood pressure who took angiotensin converting enzyme (ACEi) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were 0,67 times less likely to experience severe or fatal disease outcomes than those who did not take the medication .
The study also found that patients with high blood pressure were up 33 percent. less likely to be ventilated or to die from COVID-19 if they took ACE inhibitors.
For people who took the same medications for other conditions, including heart and kidney failure and strokes, they did not affect the course of the disease and the risk of death. Scientists argue that this research is needed, especially in the context of the second wave of infection.
See also: Hypertensive patients are more likely to die from COVID-19
Continuity of therapy is very important in patients with hypertension
Lead researcher Dr. Vassilios Vassilou said that it is especially important to understand and understand how their medications affect COVID-19 patients. “Our research provides significant evidence that the continued use of these drugs must be recommended for patients who were taking them prior to infection,” the researcher added.
See: But high blood pressure, because you will forget your name
The scientists’ discovery contributed to broadening the knowledge about the relationship between the medications taken and the course of COVID-19 disease. Earlier studies have shown that inhaling COVID-19 patients with interferon beta in the form of an aerosol causes 79% of lower risk of severe COVID-19. See: New COVID-19 Treatment. It reduces shortness of breath and shortens hospital stay
The research of UEA scientists was initiated by previous research conducted in Wuhan and other Chinese hospitals. Previous reports have suggested that certain antihypertensive drugs may be associated with a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 in patients. It was feared that the drugs might make the coronavirus easier to enter cells and stay in lung tissue. These reports led many patients to stop taking certain medications for their high blood pressure.
“The important thing is that we have shown that there is no evidence that drugs for high blood pressure can increase the risk of severe COVID-19 and death. On the contrary, we have found that there is a much lower risk of these serious complications and that the drugs themselves can even be protective in hypertensive patients, »added Vassiliou.
It is worth emphasizing that there is no evidence that the same effect would be seen in people without hypertension.
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