US Cardio Societies: Continue Antihypertensives Amid COVID-19

[Emily]

Some patients were quitting their drugs in their own.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/926956#vp_1

US Cardio Societies: Continue Antihypertensives Amid COVID-19

Miriam E. Tucker
March 17, 2020
Three American professional cardiology societies have issued a joint statement urging continuation of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) antagonists in patients, despite theoretical concerns that their use might worsen outcomes in the event of infection with COVID-19.

The new statement was issued jointly by the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC), and Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) on March 17.

It follows similar recent statements from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), as reported yesterday by Medscape Medical News, and the European Society of Hypertension, Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and International Society of Hypertension, among others.

"We understand the concern — as it has become clear that people with cardiovascular disease are at much higher risk of serious complications including death from COVID-19," said AHA president Robert A. Harrington, MD, chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University, California, in a statement.

"However, we have reviewed the latest research — the evidence does not confirm the need to discontinue ACE inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), and we strongly recommend all physicians to consider the individual needs of each patient before making any changes to ACE inhibitors or ARB treatment regimens."
In the Event of Diagnosis With COVID-19, Individualize Treatment

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