Introduction: Concerns have been raised about the possible harmfulness of angiotensin-converter enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and aldosterone receptor blockers (ARB) in patients with COVID-19. However, few data from a European population have been published, especially from hypertensive patients.
Aim: To study the association between ACEi or ARB treatments and major adverse outcomes during hospitalisation in COVID-19 patients.
Methods: We studied 545 consecutive hypertensive patients admitted to our institution due to COVID-19 with respiratory involvement. We analysed the incidence of combined event (death or mechanical ventilatory support) during hospitalisation, as well as the time to independent events.
Results: 188 (34.5%) patients presented the combined endpoint. 182 (33.4%) patients died, and 21 (3.9%) needed mechanical ventilatory support. Patients with previous treatment with ACEi or ARB presented similar incidence of the combined endpoint during hospitalisation (31.6% vs. 41.8%; p = 0.08), with a lower all-cause mortality rate (30.4% vs. 41.2%; p = 0.03) compared with those without prior treatment. Use of ACEi or ARB was not independently associated with lower incidence of the combined endpoint [Adjusted OR 0.675 (95% CI 0.298-1.528; p = 0.146)], but it was associated with lower mortality [Adjusted OR 0.550 (95% CI 0.304-0.930; p = 0.047)].
Conclusions: The use of ACEi or ARB was associated with less incidence of all-cause death during hospitalisation among hypertensive patients admitted with COVID-19 respiratory infection.
Keywords: Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs); Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs); Antihypertensive therapy; COVID-19; Hypertension; Renin-angiotensin system (RAS).