Antecedent Administration of Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists and Survival After Hospitalization for COVID‐19 Syndrome

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) utilizes the angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐2 (ACE‐2) receptor to enter human cells. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARB) are associated with ACE‐2 upregulation. We hypothesized that antecedent use of ACEI/ARB may be associated with mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Methods and Results We used the Coracle registry, which contains data of patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 in 4 regions of Italy, and restricted analyses to those ≥50 years of age. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Among these 781 patients, 133 (17.0%) used an ARB and 171 (21.9%) used an ACEI. While neither sex nor smoking status differed by user groups, patients on ACEI/ARB were older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure. The overall mortality rate was 15.1% (118/781) and increased with age ( P Trend <0.0001). The crude odds ratios (ORs) for death for ACEI users and ARB users were 0.98, 95% CI, 0.60–1.60, P =0.9333, and 1.13, 95% CI, 0.67–1.91, P =0.6385, respectively. After adjusting for age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure, antecedent ACEI administration was associated with reduced mortality (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31–0.98, P =0.0436); a similar, but weaker trend was observed for ARB administration (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.32–1.07, P =0.0796). Conclusions In those aged ≥50 years hospitalized with COVID‐19, antecedent use of ACEI was independently associated with reduced risk of inpatient death. Our findings suggest a protective role of renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system inhibition in patients with high cardiovascular risk affected by COVID‐19.

COVID-19 y su asociación con los IECA y ARAII

MD. Alejandro Jahén García Delgado's letter to the Editor, provides an interesting opinion on the article ""COVID-19 and its Association with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists"" by authors Luis M. Montaño Ramírez and Edgar Flores-Soto, published in Rev Fac Med (UNAM), 2020:63(4).

Severity of depression and its relationship with the parameters obtained in the cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients of a cardiac rehabilitation program

Background Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Depression causes specific disorders such as autonomic nervous system dysfunction, neurohormonal axis imbalance, proinflammatory and prothrombotic states. The alteration profiles in the parameters measured in the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) associated with the different severities of depression have not yet been characterized. Purpose To determine the association of the degree of depression and the parameters obtained in the CPET in patients undergoing a cardiac rehabilitation program. Methods Observational, comparative, cross-sectional, retrospective study of adult patients examined in the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2017. Independent variables were degrees of depression according to Beck depression inventory, dependent variables were parameters reported in the CPET. Categorical variables were reported in frequency and continuous variables as averages. The comparison between groups was made with x2, T test, ANOVA according to type and number of variables and their distribution. Pearson's correlation to determine association. Results From a total of 594 patients: 490 were men (82.4%), age 57.34±11.3. Maximum METs 7.49±2.42, heart rate (HR) response (percentage of theoretical maximum heart rate achieved) 82.79±12.69 and systolic blood pressure response (SBP) (ratio of peak SBP to resting SBP) 1.29±0.18. Bivariate analysis found significant differences between Beck's depression scale and study variables: Male (p&lt;0.0001), married (p=0.022), diabetes (p=0.012), surgical revascularization (p=0.05), use of angiotensin II receptor antagonists (p=0.027). Conclusions The present study found association of depressive symptoms with male gender, married marital status, diabetes, surgical myocardial revascularization and treatment with angiotensin II receptor antagonists. In the CPET, significant differences were found in exercise tolerance measured by METs, HR response and SBP response between subjects without depression and those with mild and moderate depression. Depression and Exercise Tolerance Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None