COVID-19 outcomes in patients taking cardioprotective medications

Fritha J Morrison1, Maxwell Su2,3, Alexander Turchin1,4

  • 1Division of Endocrinology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Plos One
|October 10, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cardioprotective medications like metformin, RAASi, and statins did not consistently reduce COVID-19 risks. Aspirin was linked to higher hospitalization rates, highlighting the need for further research into affordable treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant mortality globally.
  • Cardiovascular risk factors increase COVID-19 adverse outcomes.
  • Cardiometabolic medications may offer protective effects against COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if aspirin, metformin, RAASi, and statins reduce adverse COVID-19 outcomes.
  • To compare outcomes in patients taking these medications versus historical users.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 13,585 COVID-19 patients (March 2020-March 2021).
  • Compared outcomes (hospitalization, ICU, intubation, death) between current and past medication users.
  • Utilized multivariable analysis to adjust for demographics and comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • Metformin, RAASi, and statins showed lower hospitalization, ICU admission, and death risks in bivariate analysis.
  • Multivariable analysis revealed only a statistically significant lower risk of death for these medications.
  • Aspirin use was associated with a significantly higher risk of hospitalization.

Conclusions:

  • Cardioprotective medications showed no consistent benefit for COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Further research is needed to identify affordable, widely available medications for reducing COVID-19 risks.
  • This is crucial as vaccination and treatments are not universally accessible.
Abstract

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