Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
There has been talk going around that ACE inhibitors and ARBs (perindopril, candesartan etc) might might increase Coronavirus risks.
Position statement from the European cardiology society refutes: https://www.escardio.org/Councils/C...cil-on-hypertension-on-ace-inhibitors-and-ang
This speculation about the safety of ACE-i or ARB treatment in relation to COVID-19 does not have a sound scientific basis or evidence to support it. Indeed, there is evidence from studies in animals suggesting that these medications might be rather protective against serious lung complications in patients with COVID-19 infection, but to date there is no data in humans.
The Council on Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology wish to highlight the lack of any evidence supporting harmful effect of ACE-I and ARB in the context of the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak.
The Council on Hypertension strongly recommend that physicians and patients should continue treatment with their usual anti-hypertensive therapy because there is no clinical or scientific evidence to suggest that treatment with ACEi or ARBs should be discontinued because of the Covid-19 infection.
For a more technical ongoing discussion: http://www.nephjc.com/news/covidace2
But even if there is a doubtful or dubious association, what’s the harm in switching to a different BP medication?
From the science, it’s not just that we don’t if know ACEi/ARB increase the risk of COVID19, or the severity, we don’t even know whether these drugs might be beneficial. To reiterate:
Position statement from the European cardiology society refutes: https://www.escardio.org/Councils/C...cil-on-hypertension-on-ace-inhibitors-and-ang
This speculation about the safety of ACE-i or ARB treatment in relation to COVID-19 does not have a sound scientific basis or evidence to support it. Indeed, there is evidence from studies in animals suggesting that these medications might be rather protective against serious lung complications in patients with COVID-19 infection, but to date there is no data in humans.
The Council on Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology wish to highlight the lack of any evidence supporting harmful effect of ACE-I and ARB in the context of the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak.
The Council on Hypertension strongly recommend that physicians and patients should continue treatment with their usual anti-hypertensive therapy because there is no clinical or scientific evidence to suggest that treatment with ACEi or ARBs should be discontinued because of the Covid-19 infection.
For a more technical ongoing discussion: http://www.nephjc.com/news/covidace2
But even if there is a doubtful or dubious association, what’s the harm in switching to a different BP medication?
From the science, it’s not just that we don’t if know ACEi/ARB increase the risk of COVID19, or the severity, we don’t even know whether these drugs might be beneficial. To reiterate:
- We don’t know if there is an association between ACEi/ARB and COVID19
- If there is one, we don’t know the direction of association (beneficial or harmful)
- We don’t know the magnitude of any possible association
