scholarly journals Discontinuation of the renin–angiotensin system inhibitors improves erythropoiesis in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 204062072095829
Author(s):  
George Pavlidis ◽  
Sotirios G. Papageorgiou ◽  
Efthimia Bazani ◽  
Anthi Bouchla ◽  
Eirini Glezou ◽  
...  

Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockade by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) has been related to anemia in various situations. We aimed to investigate whether discontinuation of RAS inhibitors improves erythropoiesis in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDSs). Seventy-four patients with LR-MDS were divided into three groups matched for gender and age. Group A consisted of 20 hypertensive patients who discontinued RAS inhibitors and received alternative medications. Group B consisted of 26 patients who continued to receive ACEi/ARB and Group C included 28 patients (50% hypertensive) never exposed to ACEi/ARB. Half of the patients in each group were under treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). Data were collected at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months. Group A showed a significant increase in hemoglobin from 10.4 ± 1g/dL at baseline to 12.6 ± 1.2 g/dL after 12 months ( p = 0.035) and in hematocrit (31.4 ± 3% versus 37.9 ± 4%, p = 0.002). Incident anemia decreased from 100% at baseline to 60% at 12 months ( p = 0.043) despite a concomitant dose reduction in rHuEPO by 18% ( p = 0.035). No changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit were observed in both Group B and Group C. In the subset of patients not treated with rHuEPO, improvement of erythropoiesis was found only in Group A, as measured by changes in hemoglobin (11.5 ± 1 g/dL versus 12.4 ± 1.3 g/dL, p = 0.041) and hematocrit (34.5 ± 3% versus 37.1 ± 4%, p = 0.038) after 12 months. In contrast, Group B and Group C decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit after 12 months ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, discontinuation of ACEi/ARB in LR-MDS patients is followed by a significant recovery of erythropoiesis after 12 months.

Author(s):  
Jessica Barochiner ◽  
Rocio Martinez

Background: controversy has arisen in the scientific community on whether the use of renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors in the context of COVID-19 would be of benefit or harmful. A meta-analysis of eligible studies comparing the occurrence of severe and fatal COVID-19 in infected patients who were under treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) vs no treatment or other antihypertensives was conducted. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, MedRxiv and BioRxiv were searched for relevant studies. Fixed-effect models or random-effect models were used depending on the heterogeneity between estimates. Results: a total of fifteen studies with 21,614 patients were included. The use of RAS inhibitors was associated with a non-significant 20% decreased risk of the composite outcome (death, admission to intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation requirement or progression to severe or critical pneumonia): RR 0.81 (95%CI: 0.63-1.04), p=0.10, I2=82%. In a subgroup analysis that included hypertensive subjects only, ACEI/ARB were associated with a 27% significant decrease in the risk of the composite outcome (RR 0.73 (95%CI: 0.56-0.96), p=0.02, I2=65%). Conclusion: the results of this pooled analysis suggest that the use of ACEI/ARB does not worsen the prognosis, and could even be protective in hypertensive subjects. Patients should continue these drugs during their COVID-19 illness.


Author(s):  
Chen Chen ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
Peng Chen ◽  
Jiangang Jiang ◽  
Guanglin Cui ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There has been significant controversy regarding the effects of pre‐hospitalization use of renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors on the prognosis of hypertensive COVID‐19 patients. Methods and Results We retrospectively assessed 2,297 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, from January 10 th to March 30 th , 2020; and identified 1,182 patients with known hypertension on pre‐hospitalization therapy. We compared the baseline characteristics and in‐hospital mortality between hypertensive patients taking RAS inhibitors (N=355) versus non‐RAS inhibitors (N=827). Of the 1,182 hypertensive patients (median age 68 years, 49.1% male), 12/355 (3.4%) patients died in the RAS inhibitors group vs. 95/827 (11.5%) patients in the non‐RAS inhibitors group (p<0.0001). Adjusted hazard ratio for mortality was 0.28 (95% CI 0.15‐0.52, p<0.0001) at 45 days in the RAS inhibitors group compared with non‐RAS inhibitors group. Similar findings were observed when patients taking angiotensin receptor blockers (N=289) or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (N=66) were separately compared with non‐RAS inhibitors group. The RAS inhibitors group compared with non‐RAS inhibitors group had lower levels of C‐reactive protein (median 13.5 vs. 24.4 pg/mL; p=0.007) and interleukin‐6 (median 6.0 vs. 8.5 pg/mL; p=0.026) on admission. The protective effect of RAS inhibitors on mortality was confirmed in a meta‐analysis of published data when our data were added to previous studies (odd ratio 0.44, 95% CI 0.29–0.65, p<0.0001). Conclusions In a large single center retrospective analysis we observed a protective effect of pre‐hospitalization use of RAS inhibitors on mortality in hypertensive COVID‐19 patients; which might be associated with reduced inflammatory response.


ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 1844-1848
Author(s):  
Marc A. Pfeffer

Several classes of inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system were developed as antihypertensive agents. Following the early observations of favourable haemodynamic effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in patients with congestive heart failure, a series of major randomized outcome trials demonstrated morbidity and mortality benefits of these agents across the spectrum of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were then also shown to have similar benefits with a suggestion of some incremental improvements when used together. However, in the trials that randomized patients to a proven dose of an ACEI plus either placebo or an ARB, the combination of the two inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system resulted in more adverse drug effects without a meaningful improvement in clinical outcomes. This chapter reviews the fundamental underpinnings for use of either an ACEI or ARB to improve prognosis of patients with HFrEF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowena Natividad S. Flores-Genuino ◽  
Charissa Mia Salud-Gnilo ◽  
Evelyn Osio-Salido

KEY FINDINGSAmong patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and hypertension, there is insufficient evidence that RASantagonists are associated with mortality or severe COVID-19 disease.• There is uncertainty with regards to the safe use of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) antagonists, such asangiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), for COVID-19 patientswith hypertension and other comorbidities (heart failure, chronic kidney disease) because of two possiblecontradictory mechanisms 1) upregulation of ACE2 receptors that may facilitate the virus entry into the lung.and 2) control of unabated angiotensin II levels reducing acute lung injury.• Based on very low-quality retrospective cohort studies, there is insufficient evidence that RAS antagonists areassociated with increased mortality (6 studies) or severe disease (10 studies) among patients with confirmedCOVID-19 infection and hypertension.• There are 36 ongoing studies (21 RCTs, 1 single-arm trial, 4 prospective cohorts, 4 retrospective cohorts, 4 casecontrol, and 2 cross-sectional) on this topic.• The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Council on Hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension(ISH) and the joint statement by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA),and Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) all caution against discontinuing RAS-related treatments inpatients with hypertension who become infected with COVID-19.


Nephron ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Mei Mei ◽  
Zulian Zhou ◽  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Yi Chen ◽  
Hongwen Zhao ◽  
...  

Studies on pharmacological mechanisms demonstrated that a strategy of dual renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade may have a synergistic effect in the treatment of cardiorenal diseases and may reduce adverse reactions. However, some previous clinical studies reported that dual RAS blockade did not significantly benefit many patients with cardiorenal diseases and increased the risk of hyperkalemia, hypotension and renal function damage. Therefore, the current clinical guidelines suggest that the combined use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) should be used with caution in the clinic. However, these studies enrolled older patients with cardiovascular risk factors, and the results of these trials may not be generalized to the overall population. Some clinical evidence suggests that the combination of low-dose ACEIs and ARBs leads to more effective RAS blockade with few adverse effects. The advent of new RAS inhibitors with superior pharmacological effects provides a more suitable drug choice for individualized therapy for dual RAS blockade. Therefore, the choice of appropriate ARBs/ACEIs for individualized therapy based on patient condition may be a better way to improve the efficiency and safety of the dual RAS blockade strategy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. R653-R672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahmida Rasha ◽  
Latha Ramalingam ◽  
Lauren Gollahon ◽  
Rakshanda Layeequr Rahman ◽  
Shaikh Mizanoor Rahman ◽  
...  

Obesity is a complex disease and a global epidemic. It is a risk factor for other chronic diseases including breast cancer, especially in women after menopause. Diverse etiologies underlie the relationship between obesity and breast cancer. Adipose tissue is in part responsible for these interactions. In obesity, adipose tissue undergoes several metabolic dysregulations resulting in the secretion of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and hormones which in turn, can promote tumor microenvironment (TME) formation and cancer progression within the breast tissue. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a well-known hypertensive hormone produced systemically and locally by the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Activation of this system in obesity is a potential contributor to local and systemic inflammation in breast adipose tissue. Ang II actions are primarily mediated through binding to its two receptors, type 1 (AT1R) and type 2 (AT2R). RAS inhibitors include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) which are currently prescribed as safe antihypertensive therapies. Recent studies have explored the potential use of ACE-I and ARBs in breast cancer patients as anti-tumor agents. Therefore, it is vital to understand the role of RAS in breast cancer and identify mechanisms of Ang II and RAS inhibitors in the TME and in obesity and breast cancer crosstalk. In this review, we performed a detailed analysis and discussed mechanisms of Ang II-AT1R interactions in breast cancer with emphasis on obesity-associated breast cancer. We further summarized recent in vitro, in vivo and human studies that used ACE-I/ARB interventions to improve breast cancer outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-109
Author(s):  
Emanuel Blîndu ◽  
Renata Gerculy ◽  
Diana Opincariu ◽  
Daniel Cernica ◽  
Imre Benedek

AbstractThe aim of this review is to provide a short update on whether treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) has beneficial or harmful effects in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Epidemiological studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infects all age groups, presenting a higher incidence in elderly patients with various comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. A large proportion of these patients are treated with ACEIs and ARBs. Since it has been demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) as an entry point into host cells, it is important to know whether ACEIs and ARBs could modify the expression of this enzyme, and thus promote the viral infection. Animal studies and a few studies in humans have shown that renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors increase tissue expression of ACE2, but with potentially beneficial effects. In this context, it is imperative to provide appropriate guidance for clinicians and patients. The major cardiology associations across the world have released statements in which they recommend healthcare providers and patients to continue their treatments for hyper-tension and heart failure as prescribed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-yuan Hsu ◽  
Kathleen D. Liu ◽  
Jingrong Yang ◽  
David V. Glidden ◽  
Thida C. Tan ◽  
...  

Background and objectivesHow to best medically manage patients who survived hospitalized AKI is unclear. Use of renin-angiotensin system blockers in this setting may increase risk of recurrent AKI.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsThis is a cohort study of 10,242 members of an integrated health care delivery system in Northern California who experienced AKI and survived a hospitalization between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2013. All study participants did not have prior heart failure or use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) up to 5 years prior. New receipt and time-updated exposure of ACE-Is/ARBs was identified on the basis of dispensed prescriptions found in outpatient health plan pharmacy databases. The main outcome of interest was subsequent episode of hospitalized AKI after discharge from an initial index hospitalization complicated by AKI. Recurrent AKI episode was defined using acute changes in serum creatinine concentrations. Marginal structural models were used to adjust for baseline and potential time-dependent confounders.ResultsForty-seven percent of the study population had a documented eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 or documented proteinuria before hospitalization. With a median of 3 (interquartile range, 1–5) years of follow-up, 1853 (18%) patients initiated use of ACE-Is/ARBs and 2124 (21%) patients experienced recurrent AKI. Crude rate of recurrent AKI was 6.1 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 5.9 to 6.4) per 100 person-years off ACE-Is/ARBs and 5.7 (95% CI, 4.9 to 6.5) per 100 person-years on ACE-Is/ARBs. In marginal structural causal inference models that adjusted for baseline and potential time-dependent confounders, exposure to ACE-I/ARB use was not associated with higher incidence of recurrent AKI (adjusted odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.12).ConclusionsIn this study of AKI survivors without heart failure, new use of ACE-I/ARB therapy was not independently associated with increased risk of recurrent hospitalized AKI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 484-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Teatini Ribeiro ◽  
Leonardo Cruz de Souza ◽  
Ana Cristina Simões e Silva

New roles of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS), apart from fluid homeostasis and Blood Pressure (BP) regulation, are being progressively unveiled, since the discoveries of RAS alternative axes and local RAS in different tissues, including the brain. Brain RAS is reported to interact with pathophysiological mechanisms of many neurological and psychiatric diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Even though AD is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, its pathophysiology is far from elucidated. Currently, no treatment can halt the disease course. Successive failures of amyloid-targeting drugs have challenged the amyloid hypothesis and increased the interest in the inflammatory and vascular aspects of AD. RAS compounds, both centrally and peripherally, potentially interact with neuroinflammation and cerebrovascular regulation. This narrative review discusses the AD pathophysiology and its possible interaction with RAS, looking forward to potential therapeutic approaches. RAS molecules affect BP, cerebral blood flow, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Angiotensin (Ang) II, via angiotensin type 1 receptors may promote brain tissue damage, while Ang-(1-7) seems to elicit neuroprotection. Several studies dosed RAS molecules in AD patients&#039; biological material, with heterogeneous results. The link between AD and clinical conditions related to classical RAS axis overactivation (hypertension, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease) supports the hypothesized role of this system in AD. Additionally, RAStargeting drugs as Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) seem to exert beneficial effects on AD. Results of randomized controlled trials testing ACEi or ARBs in AD are awaited to elucidate whether AD-RAS interaction has implications on AD therapeutics.


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