Lancet article proposes class of high blood pressure medications increase COVID-19 risk

[Heraldic]

Came across this article and found it to be quite interesting. States that a class of blood pressure medications, including ACE inhibitors and ARBs increases ACE2 expression within the body, particularly within the epithelial cells of the lungs, and that Coronavirus binds with ACE2 enzyme. Therefore increasing the severity of COVID-19 infection in people taking these medications. Cardiologist groups are stating there is no evidence to support this hypothesis and to continue taking your medications. Interestingly enough Ibuprofuen increases ACE2 expression as well. Any thoughts?

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanres/PIIS2213-2600(20)30116-8.pdf



Edit: Adding video by a Cardiologist speaking on this subject and why you should continue taking your blood pressure medications. Adding for balance in subject.

 

[Lace]

I'd follow the general Cardiologist opinion on taking my medicine over a website I found online.

Edit: I was unaware Lancet was a highly reviewed medical journal. However, based on what I read it was more of a hypothesis article rather than a study offering any conclusive evidence. So ultimately something to be ignored by people not in the medical profession.

 

[hateradio]

I think this has been talked about before, but it's link is still unclear.

Seems like everything in the Wiki page for Covid-19 last week is surfacing this week.

 

[Fat4all]

seems like it's something that should be tested and examined more

 

[wandering]

I'd follow the general Cardiologist opinion on taking my medicine over a website I found online.

Click to shrink...

This is preliminary, so yes, you should follow your doctor's advice, but it's worth pointing out that the Lancet is one of the top peer-reviewed medical journals, not just a random website.

 

[Deleted member 39374]

I'd follow the general Cardiologist opinion on taking my medicine over a website I found online.

Click to shrink...

Lancet is a peer-reviewed journal, it's where your cardiologist gets their opinions from

 

[flawfuls]

The article is just putting forward a hypothesis with pretty much no evidece to back it up, which is not to say its a bad article. It's pretty much a suggestion to put some reasearch into this area and I don't think reasearh is all that easy to do in the middle of a pandemic.

IMO it's a big logical leap to say that ACEI make covid worse just because they act on the same thing. Its very possible a corralation =/= causation given that ACEI are very commonly used for diabetes and hypertension and the disease themselves are risk factors for covid.

I'd follow the general Cardiologist opinion on taking my medicine over a website I found online.

Click to shrink...

To be fair the lancet is one of the most well regarded medical journals out there.

 

[Lace]

This is preliminary, so yes, you should follow your doctor's advice, but it's worth pointing out that the Lancet is one of the top peer-reviewed medical journals, not just a random website.

Click to shrink...

Good to know.

With so many rumored Covid remedies being thrown around I think being overly cautious/skeptical towards any study is the correct response.

 

[SmokeMaxX]

The Lancet is only relevant for medical professionals (and other scientists in related fields). It could be true, but giving this information to the average person will just lead to them making irrational, unscientific decisions like not taking the blood pressure medication that's keeping them alive. Studies need to be done to see if this hypothesis has merit, and if so, the safest course of action from there.

 

[Cation]

I'm just a med student, but I remember just before we recalled from clinical sites - a cardiologist was worried patients were going to stop taking their meds cause of this finding. He had to talk down several patients from stopping even before the situation blew up to its current state.

Obviously this hypothesis needs more research, but in the mean time it seems pretty haphazard to stop taking your meds when your body has already upregulated those receptors. Stopping your meds won't reverse that up regulation overnight, but it might worsen your cardiac disease.

Take your meds people

 

[SageShinigami]

I'm just a med student, but I remember just before we recalled from clinical sites - a cardiologist was worried patients were going to stop taking their meds cause of this finding. He had to talk down several patients from stopping even before the situation blew up to its current state.

Obviously this hypothesis needs more research, but in the mean time it seems pretty haphazard to stop taking your meds when your body has already upregulated those receptors. Stopping your meds won't reverse that up regulation overnight, but it might worsen your cardiac disease.

Take your meds people

Click to shrink...

lol I was definitely about to stop taking these pills. I'm on a low dosage (only 25mg of losartan, which is usually given at 50mg or higher), but you're right in that things wouldn't go back to normal "overnight".

 

[Heraldic]

I'm just a med student, but I remember just before we recalled from clinical sites - a cardiologist was worried patients were going to stop taking their meds cause of this finding. He had to talk down several patients from stopping even before the situation blew up to its current state.

Obviously this hypothesis needs more research, but in the mean time it seems pretty haphazard to stop taking your meds when your body has already upregulated those receptors. Stopping your meds won't reverse that up regulation overnight, but it might worsen your cardiac disease.

Take your meds people

Click to shrink...

Do you know how many days it would take for upregulation to reverse? Asking for a friend.

 

[TyrantII]

This is somewhat old news, and now there's an opinion out there that those medications might help block the virus (or so says Dr Drew on a recent podcast).

Either way, the recommendation (Dr Drew/Everyone) is stay the course because there is absolutely not enough evidence yet either way and stopping vital medication will put you at risk for what you're taking it for in the first place.

 

[Nothing Loud]

I've read a couple of papers on this in the journals, it does look like ACE metabolism has an association with COVID-19 risk. However, that is not saying much. In general, yield on scientific consensus, which is the foundation of current modern medicine. If your doctor prescribed you an ACE inhibitor, keep taking it.