Is the use of RAS inhibitors safe in the current era of COVID-19 pandemic?

• Published in: Clinical hypertension Vol. 26; no. 1; p. 11
• Main Authors: Park, Sungha, Lee, Hae Young, Cho, Eun Joo, Sung, Ki Chul, Kim, Juhan, Kim, Dae-Hee, Ihm, Sang-Hyun, Kim, Kwang-Il, Sohn, Il-Suk, Chung, Wook-Jin, Kim, Hyeon Chang, Ryu, Sung Kee, Pyun, Wook Bum, Shin, Jinho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 07.05.2020; BioMed Central; BMC; 대한고혈압학회
• Subjects: 2019 novel coronavirus; Age groups; Angiotensin II; Angiotensins; Antihypertensive agents; Beta blockers; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; China; Chronic illnesses; Clinical medicine; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Development and progression; Diabetes; Drug therapy; Epidemics; Glycoproteins; Health aspects; Heart failure; Hypertension; Immunization; Infection; Infections; Influenza; Medical prognosis; Mortality; Nervous system; Pandemics; Patients; Perindopril; Pneumonia; Review; Risk factors; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; Sepsis; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; 내과학; China; COVID-19; Hypertension; Infection; ACE2; SARS-CoV-2; 2019 novel coronavirus; Antihypertensive drugs; Pandemic; SARS; Sepsis; Angiotensin receptor blocker; ACE inhibitor
• ISSN: 2056-5909; 1342-2154; 2635-6325; 2056-5909
• DOI: 10.1186/s40885-020-00144-0

Antihypertensive drugs are one of the most widely used pharmacologic agent in the world and it is predominantly used in the elderly subjects. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in the extremely old subject. During infection and its complication such as sepsis, hypotension could be exacerbated by antihypertensive drugs because homeostasis mechanisms such as sodium balance, renin angiotensin aldosterone system and/or sympathetic nervous system can be mitigated by antihypertensive drug therapy. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-1 and 2 viral surface protein is known to attach angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the cell membrane to facilitate viral entry into the cytoplasm. Despite the theoretical concerns of increased ACE2 expression by Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (RAS) blockade, there is no evidence that RAS inhibitors are harmful during COVID-19 infection and have in fact been shown to be beneficial in animal studies. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain RAS blockade during the current corona virus pandemic.