Hypertension Decreased Mortality of COVID-19 With Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors Therapy in Patients With Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis

[tetano]

Hypertension


. 2020 May 27.
doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15572. Online ahead of print.
Decreased Mortality of COVID-19 With Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors Therapy in Patients With Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis


Xiaoming Guo ¹ , Yueli Zhu ² , Yuan Hong ³



Affiliations

• PMID: 32458694
• DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15572

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), having gradually developed into a pandemic and endangered global health. The continued use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) which are part of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors in COVID-19 patients with hypertension has become controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis by searching Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase up to 13 May 2020. Data analyses were performed by the Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager 5.3 software. Finally, we included 9 studies comprising 3936 patients with hypertension and COVID-19 infection. Compared with non-ACEI/ARB treatment, ACEI/ARB treatment was not associated with disease severity (OR 0.71, 95 % CI 0.46-1.08, P 0.11, I² 59%) but was related to lower mortality of COVID-19 in patients with hypertension (OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.38-0.84, P 0.004, I² 0). In summary, ACEI/ARB therapy did not aggravate disease severity of COVID-19. Besides, ACEI/ARB therapy can decrease the mortality of COVID-19. Current evidence suggested that RAAS inhibitors should be continued in COVID-19 patients with hypertension. Future well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.