Effect of continuing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers on the day of surgery on myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery: A retrospective cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of continuing of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) prescriptions 24 h before surgery on postoperative myocardial injury and blood pressure in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

DESIGN

A single-center, retrospective study.

SETTING

Operating room and perioperative care area.

PATIENTS

42,432 patients who had been taking chronic ACEI/ARB underwent non-cardiac surgery from January 2012 to June 2022.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients who discontinued ACEI/ARB 24 h before surgery (withheld group, n=31,055) and those who continued ACEI/ARB 24 h before surgery (continued group, n=11,377).

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcome was myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS) within 7 days postoperatively. MINS was defined as an elevated postoperative cardiac troponin measurement above the 99th percentile of the upper reference limit with a rise/fall pattern. Perioperative blood pressure and clinical outcomes were secondary outcomes.

MAIN RESULTS

Among 42,432 patients, MINS occurred in 2848 patients (6.7%) and was the all-cause of death within 30 days in 122 patients (0.3%). Incidence of MINS was significantly higher in the continued group than the withheld group (847/11,377 [7.4%] vs. 2001/31,055 [6.4%]; OR [95% CI] 1.17 [1.07-1.27]; P<0.001). After 1:1 propensity score matching, 11,373 patients were included in each group. There was still a significant difference for the occurrence of MINS between two groups in matched cohort (7.4% vs. 6.6%, OR [95% CI] 1.14 [1.03-1.26]; P=0.015). Time-average weight of mean arterial pressure <65 mmHg during surgery was significantly higher in the continued group (mean 0.11 vs. 0.09 [95% CI of mean difference] [0.01-0.03]; P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in other clinical outcomes and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Withholding ACEI/ARB before surgery was associated with a reduced risk of intraoperative hypotension and postoperative myocardial injury, but it did not affect overall clinical outcomes in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Role of renin-angiotensin system/angiotensin converting enzyme-2 mechanism and enhanced COVID-19 susceptibility in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease that caused a global pandemic and is caused by infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. It has affected over 768 million people worldwide, resulting in approximately 6900000 deaths. High-risk groups, identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include individuals with conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, chronic lung disease, serious heart conditions, and chronic kidney disease. Research indicates that those with T2DM face a heightened susceptibility to COVID-19 and increased mortality compared to non-diabetic individuals. Examining the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), a vital regulator of blood pressure and pulmonary stability, reveals the significance of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ACE2 enzymes. ACE converts angiotensin-I to the vasoconstrictor angiotensin-II, while ACE2 counters this by converting angiotensin-II to angiotensin 1-7, a vasodilator. Reduced ACE2 expression, common in diabetes, intensifies RAS activity, contributing to conditions like inflammation and fibrosis. Although ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can be therapeutically beneficial by increasing ACE2 levels, concerns arise regarding the potential elevation of ACE2 receptors on cell membranes, potentially facilitating COVID-19 entry. This review explored the role of the RAS/ACE2 mechanism in amplifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and associated complications in T2DM. Potential treatment strategies, including recombinant human ACE2 therapy, broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, and epigenetic signature detection, are discussed as promising avenues in the battle against this pandemic.

Cardiovascular medications used for comorbid diseases in patients with atrial fibrillation. The JoFib study

PURPOSE

Many atrial fibrillation (AF) patients use cardiovascular medications for indications other than AF. These medications can affect morbidity and mortality. We aim to investigate the characteristics of AF patients who use different medication classes and their clinical course.

METHODS

We collected data from the prospective, multicenter registry, JoFib study. We identified classes of non-AF medications (medications not used for rate control, rhythm control, or anticoagulation), described demographic and clinical characteristics, and investigated AF-related outcomes according to these medication classes.

RESULTS

From a total of 2020 patients, five classes of cardiovascular non-AF medications were identified, aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, statins, and diuretics. The most commonly used non-AF medications were diuretics and ACE inhibitors/ARBs (39.2%, and 39%, respectively). 51% of AF patients took more than one non-AF medication. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that ACE inhibitor/ARB therapy independently reduced the risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality (aHR 0.50, 95%CI 0.37-0.68; aHR 0.51, 95%CI 0.34-0.75, respectively) and that statin therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular mortality (aHR 0.68, 95%CI 0.48-0.98) in AF patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated a protective effect of statin therapy against the secondary outcome, clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB) (adjusted OR 0.62 95%CI 0.42-0.94).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest a protective effect of ACE inhibitors/ARBs against all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, statins against cardiovascular mortality, and CRNMB in patients with AF. Accordingly, these medications should be encouraged in patients with AF when indicated. Additionally, future research should explore whether these medications should be offered to AF patients more routinely. The study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (unique identifier number: NCT03917992, Registration date:14/4/2019).

Tranexamic acid for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced angioedema

Approximately 0.7% of patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) develop ACEI-induced angioedema (ACEI-IA). With no approved treatments for ACEI-IA, the risk of complications is concerning. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has the potential to prevent intubations and resolve ACEI-IA by inhibiting the downstream production of bradykinin. In this review, we aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TXA use in ACEI-IA. We queried the PubMed database for studies involving TXA for ACEI-IA from January 2003 to January 2023. Seven studies met the study inclusion criteria. Our results demonstrate that TXA may improve angioedema symptoms and prevent intubation. In addition, its availability, low cost, and safety profile support its use for improving the symptoms and complications of ACEI-IA in an emergency setting.

Trajectories of adherence to ACEI/ARB medications following a motivational interviewing intervention among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Texas

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of student telephone motivational interviewing intervention on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers (ACEI/ARBs) adherence trajectories and identify predictors of each trajectory.

METHODS

The intervention group included continuously enrolled Medicare Advantage Plan patients non-adherent to ACEI/ARBs vs the control group (1:2 ratio). The intervention was tailored by pre-intervention trajectories and included an initial and five follow-up calls. Adherence was measured 6 months after initial calls using the proportion of days covered (PDC). Monthly PDCs were integrated into a group-based trajectory model and categorized patients into 4-groups. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to evaluate trajectory predictors.

RESULTS

The study comprised 240 intervention patients and 480 controls with four trajectories: adherent trajectory 44.2%, gradual improvement in adherence 13.4%, slow decline in adherence 24.1%, and discontinuation 18.3%. Patients with the intervention were less likely to experience a slow decline in adherence than controls (OR: 0.627 [0.401-0.981]). Patients with specialty prescribers' visits, ≥ 1 previous hospitalization, rapid decline in adherence as pre-intervention trajectory, and higher CMS risk score were associated with discontinuation trajectory.

CONCLUSION

Intervention patients vs controls had a lower likelihood of following a slow decline in adherence pattern.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study underscores the importance of individualized interventions and the association between past adherence patterns and post-intervention trajectories.

Combination Therapy Use and Associated Events in Clinical Practice Following Dissemination of Trial Findings: A De-Implementation Study Using Interrupted Time Series Analysis

PURPOSE

It takes 17 years, on average, for trial results to be implemented into practice. Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), this study assessed the potential impact on clinical practice of the dissemination of findings from a randomized, controlled trial reporting harm with the use of combination therapy. Communication between research and VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services (PBM)  provided the impetus for communication from the PBM about the findings of the trial in accordance with policy.

METHODS

In this de-implementation study, interrupted time series analysis was used for assessing prescribing patterns and adverse clinical events before and after the dissemination of the trial findings. The de-implementation strategy was multicomponent and multilevel. Strategies were aligned with categories outlined in the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change: train and educate stakeholders, use evaluative and iterative strategies, develop stakeholder inter-relationships, change infrastructure, provide interactive assistance, and engage consumers. VA patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease stages 1 to 3, and a moderate or severe albuminuria who received care between July 2008 and November 2017 were included. Patients were subgrouped according to treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor + angiotensin receptor blocker. The primary end point was the prevalence of combination therapy use. Secondary end points were the incidences of acute kidney injury and hyperkalemia.

FINDINGS

This study followed 712,245 patients, 9297 of whom used combination therapy. Data were available from 428,535 and 283,710 patients pre- and post-intervention, respectively; among these, 8324 and 973 patients used combination therapy, the median ages were 66 and 68 years, and 96.92% and 98.82% were men. One month following communication from the PBM, the reductions in combination therapy users, acute kidney injury events, and hyperkalemia were 331.94 (95% CI, 500.27-163.32), 36.58% (95% CI, 31.90%-41.95%), and 25.49% (95% CI, 14.17%-36.07%) per 100,000 patients per month, respectively (all, P < 0.001), whereas before the communication, these changes were +14.84 (95% CI, 10.27-19.42), -3.46% (95% CI, 3.18-3.74), and -3.27% (95% CI, 2.66%-3.87%) (all, P < 0.001).

IMPLICATIONS

The apparent speed and impact of the implementation of changes resulting from the dissemination of trial findings into VA clinical practice are encouraging. The speed of implementation was much faster than average for health care providers in the United States. Established communications between research and clinical practice, as well as established policy and communications between PBM and clinical practice, may be a model for other health care organizations.

Understanding Prescribing Practices and Patient Experiences with Renin Angiotensin System Inhibitors Use in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) improve outcomes but are underutilized in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little is known about reasons for discontinuation and lack of reinitiating these medications. We aimed to explore clinicians' and patients' experiences and perceptions of ACEI/ARB use in CKD.

METHODS

A multi-profession sample of health care clinicians and patients with documented ACEI/ARB-associated side effects in the past 6 months. Participants were recruited from 2 Veterans Affairs healthcare systems in Texas and Tennessee. A total of 15 clinicians and 10 patients completed interviews. We used inductive and deductive qualitative data analysis approaches to identify themes related to clinician and patient experiences with ACEI/ARB. Thematic analysis focused on prescribing decisions and practices, clinical guidelines, and perception of side effects. Data were analyzed as they amassed, and recruitment was stopped at the point of thematic saturation.

RESULTS

Clinicians prescribe ACEI/ARB for blood pressure control and kidney protection and underscored the importance of these medications in patients with diabetes. While clinicians described providing comprehensive patient education about ACEI/ARB in CKD, patient interviews revealed significant knowledge gaps about CKD and ACEI/ARB use. Many patients were unaware of their CKD status, and some did not know why they were prescribed ACEI/ARB. Clinicians' drug management strategies varied widely, as did their understanding of prescribing guidelines. They identified structural and patient-level barriers to prescribing and many endorsed the development of a decision support tool to facilitate ACEI/ARB prescribing and management.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Our qualitative study of clinicians and providers identified key target areas for improvement to increase ACEI/ARB utilization in patients with CKD with the goal to improve long-term outcomes in high-risk patients. These findings will also inform the development of a decision support tool to assist with prescribing ACEI/ARBs for patients with CKD.

Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on the mortality in sepsis: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on the mortality of patients with sepsis is not well characterized.

AIM

To elucidate the association between prior ACEI or ARB exposure and mortality in sepsis.

METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for all studies of premorbid ACEI or ARB use and sepsis mortality until November 30 2019. Two reviewers independently assessed, selected, and abstracted data from studies reporting ACEIs or ARBs, sepsis, and mortality. The primary extracted data consisted of premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure, mortality, and general patient data. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of six studies comprising 281238 patients with sepsis, including 49799 cases with premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure were eligible for analysis. Premorbid ACEIs or ARBs exposure decreased the 30-d mortality in patients with sepsis. Moreover, the use of ACEIs or ARBs was associated with approximately a 6% decreased risk of 30-d mortality.

CONCLUSION

The results of this systematic review suggest that ACEI or ARB exposure prior to sepsis may be associated with reduced mortality. Further high-quality cohort studies and molecular mechanism experiments are required to confirm our results.

Long-term oral ACEI/ARB therapy is associated with disease severity in elderly COVID-19 omicron BA.2 patients with hypertension

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effects of long-term oral ACEIs/ARBs on the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality in elderly COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 patients with hypertension, especially patients aged 80 years or older.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, patients suffering mild and rcommon COVID-19 with hypertension who were hospitalized in the Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital between April 2022 and June 2022 were enrolled. Primary outcomes included the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of respiratory failure of patients, use of mechanical ventilation, nucleic acid conversion time (NCT), hospitalization costs, and the temporal trend of the incidence of exacerbations and in-hospital mortality in different age groups. The data were analysed using propensity score weighting (PSW).

RESULTS

In the entire cohort, there were 298 ACEI/ARB users and 465 non-ACEI/ARB users. The ACEI/ARB group showed a lower incidence of exacerbation (OR = 0.64, 95% CI for OR: 0.46-0.89, P = 0.0082) and lower in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.49, 95% CI for OR: 0.27-0.89, P = 0.0201) after PSW. Sensitivity analysis obtained the same results. The results of the subgroup of patients aged 80 years and older obtained a similar conclusion as the whole cohort. Most of the study indicators did not differ statistically significantly in the subgroup of patients aged 60 to 79 years except for rates of mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure.

CONCLUSION

Antihypertensive therapy with ACEIs/ARBs might reduce the incidence of exacerbation and in-hospital mortality. The findings of this study support the use of ACEIs/ARBs in COVID-19 patients infected by Omicron BA.2, especially in patients aged 80 years or older with hypertension.

Association between renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade and clinical outcomes in patients with hypertension: real-world observation from a nationwide hypertension cohort

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between the use of ACEi, ARB, or non-renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (non-RASi) and incident cardiovascular events in an unselected nationwide hypertension cohort.

METHODS

The information regarding 2,025,849 patients who underwent general health checkup between 2010 and 2011 and were on antihypertensive medication was collected. Patients were allocated into ACEi, ARB, and non-RASi groups and followed until 2019. The outcomes of interest were myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS), atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), and all-cause deaths.

RESULTS

Patients on ACEi and ARB showed unfavorable baseline characteristics compared to those on non-RASi. After adjusting for covariates, the ACEi group showed lower risks of MI, AF, and all-cause deaths (HR (95% CI): 0.94 (0.89-0.99), 0.96 (0.92-1.00), and 0.93 (0.90-0.96), respectively), but similar risks of IS and HF (0.97 (0.92-1.01) and 1.03 (1.00-1.06), respectively), compared to the non-RASi group. Likewise, the ARB group showed decreased risks of MI, IS, AF, HF, and all-cause deaths (HR (95% CI): 0.93 (0.91-0.95), 0.88 (0.86-0.90), 0.86 (0.85-0.88), 0.94 (0.93-0.96), and 0.84 (0.83-0.85)), compared to the non-RASi group. Sensitivity analysis of patients taking a single antihypertensive medication showed similar results. In the propensity score matching (PSM) cohort, the ARB group showed similar risks of MI and decreased risks of IS, AF, HF, and all-cause deaths compared to the ACEi group.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEi and ARB users were associated with decreased risks of MI, IS, AF, HF, and all-cause deaths, compared to non-RASi users.

Late-onset postoperative angioedema triggered by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor: An emergent airway forethought

Angioedema is a potentially life-threatening condition due to the risk of airway compromise leading to deterioration of respiratory function, hypoxia, and ultimately, cardiopulmonary arrest. It can be either unprovoked or triggered by pharmaceutical agents, emotional or physiologic factors, upper airway trauma, or surgical stress. A 46-year-old man previously prescribed perindopril developed angioedema of the tongue 4 h after being discharged from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). A multidisciplinary team was called and they outlined an airway management strategy to use in the event of worsening. The strategy consisted of either fiberoptic intubation by an anesthesiologist or surgical tracheostomy performed by the surgical team, both performed with the patient awake and in spontaneous ventilation. The aim of this case report is to raise awareness that angioedema is a potentially life-threatening condition. For optimal management, it is important to prepare in advance a detailed airway management strategy to be implemented by a multidisciplinary team.

Enhancing the Anti-angiogenic Effect of Bevacizumab with ACE Inhibition on mCRC

INTRODUCTION

Angiotensin 2 has been shown to promote angiogenesis through multiple pathways. Reduction of angiotensin 2 production by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) could enhance the antiangiogenic effect of bevacizumab and lead to improved survival.

METHODS

Data from metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with bevacizumab in our hospital were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into groups taking ACEi or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) or neither. We performed survival analysis and COX proportional hazard modelling and calculated the hazard ratio (HR). Multivariate analyses were performed to measure the impact of factors affecting survival, and subgroup analyses were performed for patients younger than 65 years.

RESULTS

We enrolled 133 patients who received bevacizumab therapy. Eighty patients were male, and 53 were female. Twenty-three patients received ACEi treatment, and 34 patients received ARB. The median age was 58 years. Progression-free survival was higher in the ACEi group than in the ARB group or in the group receiving neither (7.66 vs. 5.98 vs. 5.0 months; p < 0.01), corresponding to a HR of 0.44 for the ACEi group (95% CI 0.26-0.74). Overall survival was not significantly longer in the ACEi group than in the ARB group or in the group receiving neither (22.0 vs. 23.5 vs. 19.7 months; p = 0.30), HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.38-1.2). In a subgroup analysis, overall survival was higher in patients younger than 65 years in the ACEi group (45.0 vs. 16.2 months; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In the final analysis, ACEi use in patients treated with bevacizumab resulted in prolonged progression-free survival, but this did not affect overall survival. Because our study is the first to look at the enhancement of the effect of bevacizumab by ACEi treatment and ACEi receiving patients are older, it would be useful to confirm our results by randomized trials.

Effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers on need for operative intervention for idiopathic adhesive capsulitis

Background

The exact pathogenesis of idiopathic adhesive capsulitis (IAC) is not fully understood, but an inflammatory profibrotic cascade, largely mediated by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF- β1) has been implicated. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) both decrease the activity of TGF-β1. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of ACE-Is or ARBs use on the need for operative intervention in IAC.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients from a single institutional database with IAC, divided into two cohorts, with and without ACE-I and/or ARB use as the primary exposure and a minimum 2-year follow-up. The primary outcome measured was the incidence of operative intervention including manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) and arthroscopic capsular release (ACR). Additional multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate associations between ACE-I/ARB use and likelihood of undergoing an operative procedure.

Results

A total of 17,645 patients met inclusion criteria, with 5424 patients in the ACE-I/ARB cohort and 12,221 in the non-ACE-I/ARB cohort. Overall, 422 (2.4%) patients underwent surgical treatment, 378 (2.1%) ACR, and 74 (0.4%) MUA. There was no significant difference between cohorts in the frequency of surgical procedures or time to procedure since diagnosis. There were no significant differences between individual ACE-Is or ARBs, although Losartan was found to have a trend of decreased rate of intervention (31.7% vs. 36.8%, P = .209) when compared to patients not on losartan that did not reach statistical significance. Patient factors predictive of undergoing MUA/ACR were diabetes (P = .013), obesity (P < .001), and male sex (P < .001). Increasing patient age reduces the likelihood of undergoing operative intervention, with patients aged 50-70 years (P = .022) and age >70 years (P < .001) demonstrating reduced odds as compared to patients aged <30 years.

Conclusion

Patients with IAC have an overall low (2.4%) rate of requiring surgical intervention. While the antifibrotic mechanism of ACE inhibitors and ARBs did not significantly affect the rate of requiring surgical intervention, male gender, obesity, younger age, and diabetes, all increased the risk for operative intervention. Losartan, specifically, may have a disease modifying effect on IAC that should be investigated with larger controlled trials.

ACE-Inhibitors in Hypertension: A Historical Perspective and Current Insights

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review describes the discovery and development of ACE inhibitors as antihypertensive agents, compares their efficacy, tolerability, and safety to ARBs, and highlights the contemporary issues surrounding ACE inhibitor use for HTN.

RECENT FINDINGS

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are commonly prescribed medications for the management of hypertension (HTN) and other chronic conditions including heart failure and chronic kidney disease. These agents inhibit ACE, the enzyme that is responsible for converting angiotensin (AT) I to AT II. Inhibiting the synthesis of AT II causes arterial and venous vasodilation, natriuresis, and a decrease in sympathetic activity, resulting in the reduction of blood pressure. ACE inhibitors are first-line therapy in HTN management along with thiazide diuretics, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). Along with inhibiting AT II synthesis, inhibition of ACE causes accumulation of bradykinin, increasing the risk of bradykinin-mediated side effects like angioedema and cough. Since ARBs do not work on ACE in the renin-angiotensin system, the risk of angioedema and cough are lower with ARBs. Recent evidence has also suggested ARBs may have neuroprotective effects compared to other antihypertensives, including ACE inhibitors; however, this warrants further study. Currently, ACE inhibitors and ARBs have an equal class of recommendation for first-line treatment for the management of HTN. Recent evidence has shown ARBs to be just as effective as ACE inhibitors for HTN but with improved tolerability.

The Combination of Beta-Blockers and ACE Inhibitors Across the Spectrum of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, affecting a wide range of patients at different stages across the cardiovascular continuum. Hypertension is one of the earliest risk factors in this continuum and can be controlled in most patients with currently available antihypertensive agents. However, goals are often not met because treatments are not optimized in terms of tailoring therapy to individual patients based on their hypertension subclass and cardiovascular risk profile and initiating early use of adapted-dose, single-pill combinations. In this context, beta-blockers in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are of special interest as a result of their complementary actions on the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, two interlinked pathways that influence cardiovascular risk and disease outcomes. In addition to their antihypertensive actions, beta-blockers are used to manage arrhythmias and treat angina pectoris and heart failure, while ACE inhibitors provide cardioprotection in patients with acute coronary syndromes and treat congestive heart failure. A broad range of patients may therefore receive the combination in routine clinical practice. This paper examines the supporting evidence for beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors in each of the above indications and considers the rationale for combining these agents into a single pill, using data from bisoprolol and perindopril randomized controlled trials as supporting evidence. Combining these established antihypertensive agents into a single pill continues to provide effective blood pressure lowering and improved cardiovascular outcomes while allowing a greater proportion of patients to rapidly achieve treatment targets.

Post-induction hypotension with remimazolam versus propofol in patients routinely administered angiotensin axis blockades: a randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

Certain routine medication could result in post-induction hypotension (PIH), such as angiotensin axis blockades, which are frequently administered as a first-line therapy against hypertension. Remimazolam is reportedly associated with lesser intraoperative hypotension than propofol. This study compared the overall incidence of PIH following remimazolam or propofol administration in patients managed by angiotensin axis blockades.

METHODS

This single-blind, parallel-group, randomized control trial was conducted in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia were considered for enrollment if the inclusion criteria were met: administration of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, 19 to 65 years old, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification ≤ III, and no involvement in other clinical trials. The primary outcome was the overall incidence of PIH, defined as a mean blood pressure (MBP) < 65 mmHg or decrease by ≥ 30% of the baseline MBP. The time points of measurement were baseline, just before the initial intubation attempt, and 1, 5, 10, and 15 min following intubation. The heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and bispectral index were also recorded. Groups P and R included patients administered propofol and remimazolam, respectively, as an induction agent.

RESULTS

A total of 81 patients were analyzed, of the 82 randomized patients. PIH was less frequent in group R than group P (62.5% versus 82.9%; t value 4.27, P = 0.04, adjusted odds ratio = 0.32 [95% confidence interval 0.10-0.99]). The decrease in the MBP from baseline was 9.6 mmHg lesser in group R than in group P before the initial intubation attempt (95% confidence interval 3.3-15.9). A similar trend was observed for systolic and diastolic blood pressures. No severe adverse events were observed in either group.

CONCLUSION

Remimazolam results in less frequent PIH than propofol in patients undergoing routine administration of angiotensin axis blockades.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was retrospectively registered on Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea (KCT0007488). Registration date: 30/06/2022.

Management of Hypertension in Fabry Disease

Fabry disease (FD), a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder that depletes alpha-galactosidase A (α-GalA), is caused by mutations in the GLA gene. Diminished α-GalA enzyme activity results in the accumulation of Gb3 and lyso-Gb3. The pathophysiology of hypertension in FD is complex and unclear. The storage of Gb3 in arterial endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells is known to produce vascular injury by increasing oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines as a primary pathophysiological mechanism. In addition, Fabry nephropathy developed, resulting in a decrease in kidney function and contributing to hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension in patients with FD was between 28.4% and 56%, whereas hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease ranged between 33% and 79%. A study using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to measure blood pressure (BP) indicated a high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension in FD. Thus, 24-hour ABPM ought to be considered for FD hypertension assessments. Appropriate treatment of hypertension is believed to reduce mortality in patients with FD caused by kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease because hypertension significantly impacts organ damage. Up to 70% of FD patients have been reported to have kidney involvement, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers prescribed for proteinuria are recommended as first-line therapy with antihypertensive drugs. In conclusion, hypertension should be controlled appropriately, given the different morbidity and mortality caused by significant organ involvement in FD patients.

Documented Adverse Drug Reactions and Discontinuation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Chronic Kidney Disease

INTRODUCTION

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are frequently discontinued in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Documented adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in medical records may provide insight into the reasons for treatment discontinuation.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort of US veterans from 2005 to 2019, we identified individuals with CKD and a current prescription for an ACEi or ARB (current user group) or a discontinued prescription within the preceding 5 years (discontinued group). Documented ADRs in structured datasets associated with an ACEi or ARB were categorized into 17 pre-specified groups. Logistic regression assessed associations of documented ADRs with treatment discontinuation.

RESULTS

There were 882,441 (73.0%) individuals in the current user group and 326,794 (27.0%) in the discontinued group. There were 26,434 documented ADRs, with at least one documented ADR in 7,520 (0.9%) current users and 9,569 (2.9%) of the discontinued group. ADR presence was associated with treatment discontinuation, aOR 4.16 (95% CI: 4.03, 4.29). The most common documented ADRs were cough (37.3%), angioedema (14.2%), and allergic reaction (10.4%). ADRs related to angioedema (aOR 3.81, 95% CI: 3.47, 4.17), hyperkalemia (aOR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.84, 2.24), peripheral edema (aOR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.77), or acute kidney injury (aOR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.51) were associated with treatment discontinuation.

CONCLUSION

ADRs leading to drug discontinuation were infrequently documented. ADR types were differentially associated with treatment discontinuation. An understanding of which ADRs lead to treatment discontinuation provides an opportunity to address them at a healthcare system level.

Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Drug Use Compared to Continuation in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 related mortality is about 2%, and it increases with comorbidities, like hypertension. Regarding management, there is debatable evidence about the benefits of continuation vs. discontinuation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB).

AIM

We performed a systematic review to assess the effects and safety of in-hospital discontinuation compared to continuation of ACEI/ARB in COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

We systematically searched on PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE from inception to June 19, 2021. We included observational studies and trials that compared the effects and safety of continuing ACEI/ARB compared to discontinuing it in COVID-19 patients. Effects sizes for dichotomous variables were expressed as risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals. For continuous variables, effects were expressed as mean difference (MD). We used random effect models with the inverse variance method. We assessed certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

We included three open-label randomized controlled trials and five cohort studies. We found that the continuation group had lower risk of death compared with the discontinuation group only in the cohort group (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.90), but not in the RCT group (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.75-2.00). The ICU admission rate was significantly lower in the continuation group (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.31-0.68) in the cohort group, but not in RCT group (RR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.67-1.59). We did not find significant differences between groups regarding hospitalization length, hypotension, AKI needing renal replacement therapy, mechanical ventilation, new or worsening heart failure, myocarditis, renal replacement therapy, arrhythmias, thromboembolic events and SOFA AUC. The GRADE approach revealed that the certainty ranged from moderate to high level.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no significant difference in mortality and other outcomes between continuation and discontinuation groups.

[European guidelines on heart failure: pharmacotherapy]

The new 2021 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) have broken with the old step by step treatment of heart failure and have fundamentally revised the strategy in the pharmacotherapy setting. For patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction ≤ 40%, the 4 substance groups angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), beta blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) and sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are now recommended as early as possible after diagnosis. Completing the substance groups has priority over increasing the dosage of the individual substances. This makes it necessary to rethink current clinical practice, especially as the guidelines are reluctant to give concrete instructions for implementation.

Robust arm and leg muscle adaptation to training despite ACE inhibition: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

PURPOSE

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor treatment is widely applied, but the fact that plasma ACE activity is a potential determinant of training-induced local muscular adaptability is often neglected. Thus, we investigated the hypothesis that ACE inhibition modulates the response to systematic aerobic exercise training on leg and arm muscular adaptations.

METHODS

Healthy, untrained, middle-aged participants (40 ± 7 yrs) completed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were randomized to placebo (PLA: CaCO₃) or ACE inhibitor (ACE_i: enalapril) for 8 weeks and completed a supervised, high-intensity exercise training program. Muscular characteristics in the leg and arm were extensively evaluated pre and post-intervention.

RESULTS

Forty-eight participants (n_ACEi = 23, n_PLA = 25) completed the trial. Exercise training compliance was above 99%. After training, citrate synthase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and phosphofructokinase maximal activity were increased in m. vastus lateralis in both groups (all P < 0.05) without statistical differences between them (all time × treatment P > 0.05). In m. deltoideus, citrate synthase maximal activity was upregulated to a greater extent (time × treatment P < 0.05) in PLA (51 [33;69] %) than in ACE_i (28 [13;43] %), but the change in 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and phosphofructokinase maximal activity was similar between groups. Finally, the training-induced changes in the platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 protein abundance, a marker of capillary density, were similar in both groups in m. vastus lateralis and m. deltoideus.

CONCLUSION

Eight weeks of high-intensity whole-body exercise training improves markers of skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity, glycolytic capacity and angiogenesis, with no overall effect of pharmacological ACE inhibition in healthy adults.

Clinical outcomes following discontinuation of renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (RASi), that include angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) reduce proteinuria, delay chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, protect against cardiovascular events and heart failure hospitalizations. We examined the associations of discontinuation of ACEi/ARBs with risk of clinical outcomes in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and advanced-CKD (estimated-glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <30 ml/min/1.73 m²).

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, population-based cohort study including 10,400 patients with T2D in Hong Kong stratified by continuation of ACEi/ARBs within 6 months after reaching eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m² from January 01, 2002 to December 31, 2018 and observed until December 31, 2019. The primary outcomes were death, major-adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), heart failure, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and all-cause mortality. Cox-model with time-dependent exposure and covariates was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of outcomes in a propensity-score overlap-weighted cohort. The risk of occurrence of hyperkalemia (plasma potassium >5.5 mmol/L) in discontinued-ACEi/ARBs versus continued-ACEi/ARBs users was assessed in a register-based cohort.

FINDINGS

In the population-based cohort of 10,400 ACEi/ARBs users with new-onset eGFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m², 1766 (17.0%) discontinued ACEi/ARBs and 8634 (83.0%) persisted with treatment. During a median follow-up of 3.6 (interquartile range, IQR: 2.11-5.8) years (41,623 person-years), 13.5%, 12.9%, and 27.6% had incident MACE, heart failure and ESKD respectively, and 35.8% died. Discontinued-ACEi/ARBs use was associated with higher risk of MACE (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08-1.49), heart failure (HR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.53-2.25) and ESKD (HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17-1.43), and neutral risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86-1.01) compared to counterparts with continued use. In the register-based cohort (583 discontinued-ACEi/ARBs users and 3817 continued-ACEi/ARBs users), discontinued-ACEi/ARBs had neutral risk of hyperkalemia (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.84-1.08).

INTERPRETATION

Discontinuation of ACEi/ARBs was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular-renal events supporting their continued use in patients with T2D and advanced-CKD.

FUNDING

CUHK Impact Research Fellowship Scheme.

Centrally Acting ACE Inhibitor Use and Physical Performance in Older Adults

BACKGROUND

There is conflicting evidence regarding the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and physical function. While some studies show improvements in muscle strength and physical function, others show no significant difference or decreased performance. This ambiguity could be due to differential effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor subtypes which can be categorized as centrally or peripherally-acting based upon their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to compare physical performance measures among angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor subtype users.

METHODS

Design: Cross-sectional Setting: Ambulatory Participants: Performed in 364 participants in the Health and Retirement Study cohort who were ≥ 65 years (median age (IQR) 74.00 (69-80) years.

MEASUREMENTS

Average difference in hand grip (kg), gait speed(m/s) and peak expiratory flow (L/min).

RESULTS

Compared to participants on a peripherally-acting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (113 (31%)), those on a centrally-acting agent (251(69%)) had stronger grip strength 28.9 ±1.0 vs 26.3±1.0, p=.011 and higher peak expiratory flow rates 316.8±130.4 vs. 280.0±118.5, p= .011 in unadjusted analysis. After multiple adjustments the difference in PEF remained statistically significant (Estimate(CI) 26.5, 95% CI 2.24, 50.5, p = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that in older adults the use of centrally-acting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors compared to a peripherally acting angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was associated with better lung function in older individuals.

Cardiovascular Diseases, Medications, and ALS: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

INTRODUCTION

We investigated the associations between antecedent all-cause CVD diagnoses, cause-specific CVD diagnosis, and CVD medication prescriptions with the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a population-based case-control study of U.S. Medicare enrollees from 2006 to 2013. The final sample included 3,714 incident ALS cases and 18,570 controls (matched on age, sex, enrollment length, and county). Information was collected from Medicare Parts A, B, and D administrative claims data on hypertension, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, prescriptions of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptors blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and antiarrhythmics. Associations were evaluated using conditional logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographical location, alcohol and tobacco use, and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

The odds ratio (OR) for having one or more ICD-9 codes for any cardiovascular disease diagnosis at least 24 months prior to the date of ALS diagnosis was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-0.92). Cardiovascular conditions that were inversely associated with ALS included heart failure (OR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.70-0.89), atrial fibrillation (OR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.77-0.92), and hypertension (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.84-0.98). Exposures to several classes of cardiovascular medications were inversely associated with ALS risk even after adjusting for confounding by indication, including ACE inhibitors (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.77-0.91), calcium channel blockers (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.70), and beta blockers (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.71-0.83).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

These findings merit additional research, including animal studies and pilot clinical trials, to further evaluate and evidence the effects of ACEIs, CCBs, and BBs on the risk of developing and clinical expression of ALS.

Effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitor type and dosage on survival after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

AIMS

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) on the survival of subgroups of patients with aortic stenosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and to assess the impact of types and dosages of RASI on outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This single-centre, retrospective analysis included 2862 patients (n = 2227 with RASI and n = 635 without RASI) after successful TAVI. Propensity score matching established comparable patient populations (n = 625 per group). Survival was analysed by Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression and was corrected for baseline, procedural, and medical parameters. Self-reported adherence to RASI therapy 3 months after hospital discharge was 94%. Three-year all-cause mortality rates were 12.3% and 20.2% for patients with or without RASI, respectively (log-rank <0.001). In the matched study populations, mortality rates were 14.2% vs. 20.0% (log-rank <0.03). RASI was particularly beneficial in patients with ejection fraction <40% [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval 0.50 (0.29-0.87)], EuroScore II ≥4% [HR 0.47 (0.35-0.65)], or low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis [HR 0.53 (0.31-0.93)] who were also on beta-blockers and statins. An association between discharge dosage and survival was observed, with HR 0.75 (0.58-0.96) and 0.57 (0.44-0.72) for patients on <50% and ≥50% target dose, respectively. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) reduced mortality rates similarly (13.9% vs. 9.8%, log-rank 0.103).

CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial association between RASI after TAVI and improved survival during follow-up is particularly evident in high-risk patients and may be dose dependent. No superiority was noted in the effectiveness of ACEI or ARB.

Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in cryoballoon ablation outcomes for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is recommended for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs. However, only 80% of patients benefit from initial CBA. There is growing evidence that pretreatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) decreases the recurrence of AF postablation, particularly in nonparoxysmal AF undergoing radiofrequency ablation. The role of ACEIs and ARBs in patients with paroxysmal AF in CBA remains unknown. We decided to investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia (AA) following CBA for paroxysmal AF.

AIM

To investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.

METHODS

We followed 103 patients (age 60.6 ± 9.1 years, 29% women) with paroxysmal AF undergoing CBA 1-year post procedure. Recurrence was assessed by documented AA on electrocardiogram or any form of long-term cardiac rhythm monitoring. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess if ACEI or ARB treatment predicted the risk of AA recurrence.

RESULTS

After a 1-year follow-up, 19 (18.4%) participants developed recurrence of AA. Use of ACEI or ARB therapy was noted in the study population. Patients on ACEI/ARB had a greater prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease. On a multivariate model adjusted for baseline demographics and risk factors for AF, ACEI or ARB therapy did not prevent recurrence of AA following CBA (P = 0.72). Similarly, on Kaplan–Meier analysis pretreatment with ACEI/ARB did not predict the time to first recurrence of AA (P = 0.2173).

CONCLUSION

In our study population, preablation treatment with an ACEI or ARB had no influence on the recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.

Plasmatic renin-angiotensin system in normotensive and hypertensive patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Background

Besides its counterbalancing role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 is the receptor for the type 2 coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, the etiological agent of COVID-19. COVID-19 is associated with increased plasmatic ACE2 levels, although conflicting results have been reported regarding angiotensin (Ang) II and Ang-(1−7) levels. We investigated plasmatic ACE2 protein levels and enzymatic activity and Ang II and Ang-(1−7) levels in normotensive and hypertensive patients hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to healthy subjects.

Methods

Ang II and Ang-(1−7), and ACE2 activity and protein levels were measured in 93 adults (58 % (n = 54) normotensive and 42 % (n = 39) hypertensive) hospitalized with COVID-19. Healthy, normotensive (n = 33) and hypertensive (n = 7) outpatient adults comprised the control group.

Results

COVID-19 patients displayed higher ACE2 enzymatic activity and protein levels than healthy subjects. Within the COVID-19 group, ACE2 activity and protein levels were not different between normotensive and hypertensive-treated patients, not even between COVID-19 hypertensive patients under RAS blockade treatment and those treated with other antihypertensive medications. Ang II and Ang-(1−7) levels significantly decreased in COVID-19 patients. When COVID-19 patients under RAS blockade treatment were excluded from the analysis, ACE2 activity and protein levels remained higher and Ang II and Ang-(1−7) levels lower in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy people.

Conclusions

Our results support the involvement of RAS in COVID-19, even when patients under RAS blockade treatment were excluded. The increased circulating ACE2 suggest higher ACE2 expression and shedding.

Impact of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on the survival of patients with rectal cancer

Background

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) are widely used in the treatment of hypertension. However, their impact on the outcome of the combined treatment of rectal cancer is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of RASIs on the survival of rectal cancer patients with associated hypertension after neoadjuvant treatment and radical resection.

Methods

Between 2008 and 2016, 242 radical (R0) rectal resections for cancer were performed after neoadjuvant treatment in patients with associated hypertension. At the time of treatment, 158 patients were on RASIs, including 35 angiotensin-receptor antagonists (ARB) users and 123 angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) users. Eighty-four patients were on drugs other than RASIs (non-RASI users). The survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier estimator with the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

The log-rank test showed a significantly worse overall survival (OS) in the group of ACEI users compared to ARB users (p = 0.009) and non-RASI users (p = 0.013). Disease-free survival (DFS) was better in the group of ARB users compared to ACEI users. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.064). The Multivariate Cox analysis showed a significant beneficial effect of ARBs on OS (HR: 0.326, 95% CI: 0.147–0.724, p = 0.006) and ARBs on DFS (HR: 0.339, 95% CI: 0.135–0.850, p = 0.021) compared to ACEIs. Other factors affecting OS included age (HR: 1.044, 95% CI: 1.016–1.073, p = 0.002), regional lymph node metastasis (ypN +) (HR: 2.157, 95% CI: 1.395–3.334, p = 0.001) and perineural invasion (PNI) (HR: 3.864, 95% CI: 1.799–8.301, p = 0.001). Additional factors affecting DFS included ypN + (HR: 2.310, 95% CI: 1.374–3.883, p = 0.002) and PNI (HR: 4.351, 95% CI: 1.584–11.954, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

The use of ARBs instead of ACEIs may improve the outcome of the combined therapy for rectal cancer patients with associated hypertension.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09919-0.

Impact of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitor drugs on mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation and hypertension

BACKGROUND

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors markedly play an active role in the primary prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on the mortality of patients with AF remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between treatment with ACEIs or ARBs and mortality in emergency department (ED) patients with AF and hypertension.

METHODS

This multicenter study enrolled 2016 ED patients from September 2008 to April 2011; 1110 patients with AF and hypertension were analyzed. Patients were grouped according to whether they were treated with ACEI/ARB or not and completed a 1-year follow-up to evaluate outcomes including all-cause death, cardiovascular death, stroke, and major adverse events (MAEs).

RESULTS

Among the 1110 patients with AF and hypertension, 574 (51.7%) received ACEI/ARB treatment. During the 1-year follow-up, 169 all-cause deaths (15.2%) and 100 cardiovascular deaths (9.0%) occurred, while 98 strokes (8.8%) and 255 MAEs (23.0%) occurred. According to the multivariate Cox regression analysis, ACEI/ARB therapy was significantly associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death (HR, 0.605; 95% CI 0.431-0.849; P = 0.004). Moreover, ACEI/ARB therapy was independently associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death (HR 0.585; 95% CI 0.372-0.921; P = 0.020) and MAEs (HR 0.651, 95% CI 0.496-0.855, P = 0.002) after adjusting for other risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed that ACEI/ARB therapy was independently associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and MAEs in ED patients with AF and hypertension. These results provide evidence for a tertiary preventive treatment for patients with AF and hypertension.

Impact of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition on mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients with pre-existing hypertension: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The influence of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors on the critically ill COVID-19 patients with pre-existing hypertension remains uncertain. This study examined the impact of previous use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on the critically ill COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

Data from an international, prospective, observational cohort study involving 354 hospitals spanning 54 countries were included. A cohort of 737 COVID-19 patients with pre-existing hypertension admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in 2020 were targeted. Multi-state survival analysis was performed to evaluate in-hospital mortality and hospital length of stay up to 90 days following ICU admission.

RESULTS

A total of 737 patients were included-538 (73%) with pre-existing hypertension had received ACEi/ARBs before ICU admission, while 199 (27%) had not. Cox proportional hazards model showed that previous ACEi/ARB use was associated with a decreased hazard of in-hospital death (HR, 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.94). Sensitivity analysis adjusted for propensity scores showed similar results for hazards of death. The average length of hospital stay was longer in ACEi/ARB group with 21.2 days (95% CI 19.7-22.8 days) in ICU and 6.7 days (5.9-7.6 days) in general ward compared to non-ACEi/ARB group with 16.2 days (14.1-18.6 days) and 6.4 days (5.1-7.9 days), respectively. When analysed separately, results for ACEi or ARB patient groups were similar for both death and discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

In critically ill COVID-19 patients with comorbid hypertension, use of ACEi/ARBs prior to ICU admission was associated with a reduced risk of in-hospital mortality following adjustment for baseline characteristics although patients with ACEi/ARB showed longer length of hospital stay. Clinical trial registration The registration number: ACTRN12620000421932; The date of registration: 30, March 2020; The URL of the registration: https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/anzctr/trial/ACTRN12620000421932 .

Efficacy and safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers for IgA nephropathy in children

BACKGROUND

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most prevalent primary glomerulopathies in children. There are various studies investigating the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) in adults with IgAN. However, only few studies evaluated the efficacy of these medications in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ACEI/ARB in children with IgAN.

DATA SOURCES

Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched between the 1st of April and 20th of July of 2021 using the keywords "IgA Nephropathy," "Berger's Disease," "Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors," "Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists," "Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers," and similar entry terms collected from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Observational studies (case series, case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional) and clinical trials with descriptions of pediatric patients (under 19 years old) with histopathological diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and who received ACEI and/or ARB.

PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

Pediatric patients (under 19 years old) with histopathological diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and who received ACEI and/or ARB.

STUDY APPRAISAL

For quality assessment, the Risk of Bias 2 tool (RoB 2), the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool (ROBINS-I), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used.

RESULTS

After recovering 1,471 studies, only eight, published between 2003 and 2019, met the eligibility criteria and were included in this systematic review. Of the 737 included children in the studies, 202 (25.8%) used ACEI/ARB and were compared with placebo and other therapy regimens. Of the seven studies that evaluated proteinuria, six reported an efficacy of ACEI/ARB in reducing this marker. ACEI/ARB also showed a possible effect in reducing hematuria and oxidative stress. The most common side effect was dizziness.

LIMITATIONS

The number of studies about the treatment with ACEI/ARB in children with IgAN is scarce. In addition, the studies are very heterogeneous. There are few studies that compared ACEI/ARB with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

The use of ACEI and/or ARB appears to be safe and to reduce proteinuria in pediatric patients with IgAN. Nonetheless, further randomized controlled trials, with greater methodological rigor and longer follow-up time, are required to establish the efficacy and safety of this therapy in this population.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

The protocol of this systematic literature review was registered in PROSPERO under the number CRD42021245375, and in the OSF registries ( https://osf.io/qft4z/ ) with the registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VADYR . A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

ACE-Inhibitor or ARB-Induced Refractory Hypotension Treated With Vasopressin in Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia for Dentistry: Two Case Reports

Two case reports present the use of vasopressin for treating refractory hypotension associated with continued angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) therapy prior to general anesthesia for oral surgery. Both patients were treated in an ambulatory dental surgery clinic and took either their ACEI or ARB medication for hypertension within 24 hours prior to undergoing an intubated general anesthetic. Persistent profound hypotension was encountered intraoperatively that was refractory to treatment with traditional methods. However, the ACEI- or ARB-induced refractory hypotension was successfully managed with the administration of vasopressin.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of beta-blockers and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors for preventing left ventricular dysfunction due to anthracyclines or trastuzumab in patients with breast cancer

AIMS

Trastuzumab and anthracyclines, often used in the treatment of breast cancer, may impair myocardial function, and reduce left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), potentially causing heart failure. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated the effects of beta-blockers (BBs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) on trastuzumab- and anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity. We report a meta-analysis of these RCTs in patients with breast cancer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The primary analysis was on the effect of BBs and ACEI/ARBs on LVEF in patients treated with either trastuzumab or anthracyclines. A secondary analysis was done investigating the effect of BBs or ACEI/ARBs on LVEF in trastuzumab and anthracycline treatments. Only RCTs were included using the search term 'ARBs, ACEIs, BBs, anthracyclines, trastuzumab, and breast cancer' in PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL up to 31 March 2021. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the mean difference (MD) in LVEF between intervention and placebo groups at follow-up. A total of nine RCTs (n = 1362) were included in the analysis. All patients were women. BBs and ACEI/ARBs were shown to attenuate the decline in LVEF during trastuzumab and anthracycline treatments [MD: 2.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3-4.2 and MD: 1.5; 95% CI: -0.6 to 3.7]. Compared with placebo, LVEF was significantly higher in patients assigned to BB or ACEI/ARB on trastuzumab (MD: 2.3; 95% CI: 0.0-4.6) but not on anthracyclines (MD: 1.9; 95% CI: -0.5 to 4.2).

CONCLUSION

Both BB and ACEI/ARB therapies were associated with the preservation of LVEF during trastuzumab and anthracycline-containing regimens as compared with placebo, suggesting both to be beneficial.

KEY QUESTION

The distinct effects of (1) beta-blockers (BBs) and (ii) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with breast cancer treated with trastuzumab or anthracyclines. The effect of either BBs or ACEI/ARBs on the LVEF during (iii) trastuzumab and (iv) anthracycline treatments.

KEY FINDING

BBs and ACEI/ARBs were shown to attenuate the decline in LVEF during trastuzumab and anthracycline treatments. In patients treated with trastuzumab, BBs or ACEI/ARBs were significantly associated with higher LVEFs. For anthracyclines, a similar trend was found, although nonsignificant.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

BB therapy and ACEI/ARB therapy were associated with LVEF preservation during trastuzumab and anthracycline containing regimens in patients with breast cancer.

Angioedema associated with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors

Background

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors, also known as gliptins, are a class of oral antidiabetic agents. Postmarketing reports have documented the occurrence of angioedema in patients treated with gliptins and it was found that these drugs increased the risk of angioedema in patients concurrently treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). The aim of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the risk of angioedema associated with gliptins.

Methods

The keywords used for the literature search in the PubMed database included “angioedema” and “dipeptidyl peptidase”, “gliptins”, or the name of each DPP-IV inhibitor. Articles in English published up to December 2020 were taken into consideration.

Results

The available data appear to rule out a higher risk of angioedema associated with gliptin monotherapy and have revealed an increased susceptibility in patients simultaneously treated with gliptins and ACEIs. However, one single multicenter phase IV trial and case reports, even if very limited in number, have shown that angioedema can also occur during treatment with DPP-IV inhibitors without the concomitant use of ACEIs. The involvement of other drugs and drug interactions has occasionally been suggested. In a few patients, deficiency of enzymes involved in bradykinin catabolism was detected and this finding can constitute a risk factor for angioedema exacerbated by treatment with DPP-IV inhibitors.

Conclusions

This risk of angioedema associated with the use of gliptins has mostly been related to the concurrent administration of ACEIs, and has been considered rare, but it might be underestimated and underreported. The role of additional risk factors or drug interactions deserves further investigations. Caution should be taken when considering the use of DPP-IV inhibitors in patients treated with ACEIs or presenting with other known risk factors for angioedema.

Impact of angiotensin receptor blockers on mortality after hospitalization for symptomatic lower extremity artery disease

AIMS

The objective was to assess the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) prescription at discharge in patients hospitalized for symptomatic lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) and 1-year mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The COPART registry is a multicentre, prospective, observational, cohort study which includes consecutive patients hospitalized for symptomatic LEAD in four French academic centres. All-cause mortality during a 1-year follow-up after hospital discharge was compared between patients with ARB, patients with ACEI and patients without ARB or ACEI. Analyses were performed using Cox models. As a sensitivity analysis, a propensity score (PS)-matching analysis was carried out. Among 1981 patients, 421 had ARB (21.3%), 766 ACEI (38.7%), and 794 no ACEI/ARB (40.1%) at discharge. During the 1-year follow-up, incidence rates for mortality were 12.6/100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.7-16.1] for patients with ARB, 15.8/100 person-years (95% CI 13.4-18.6) for patients with ACEI and 19.8/100 person-years for patients without ACEI/ARB (95% CI 17.2-22.8). In a multivariate Cox model, ARB at discharge was associated with decreased mortality compared with no ACEI/ARB, hazard ratio (HR) 0.68 (95% CI 0.49-0.95), and with ACEI, HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.49-0.97). These results are consistent with those obtained by the Cox analyses in the PS-matched sample: HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.47-0.98) for patients with ARB compared with no ARB.

CONCLUSION

Angiotensin receptor blockers at discharge after hospitalization for symptomatic LEAD is associated with a better survival compared with ACEI or no ACEI/ARB.

The benefits of sacubitril-valsartan in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

We aimed to investigate whether sacubitril-valsartan could further improve the prognosis, cardiac function, and left ventricular (LV) remodelling in patients following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from inception to 10 May 2021 to identify potential articles. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the inclusion criteria were included and analysed. Thirteen RCTs, covering 1358 patients, were analysed. Compared with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), sacubitril-valsartan did not significantly reduced the cardiovascular mortality [risk ratio (RR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22 to 1.93, P = 0.434] and the rate of myocardial reinfarction (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.46, P = 0.295) of patients following AMI, but the rate of hospitalization for heart failure (HF) (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.66, P < 0.001) and the change of LV ejection fraction (LVEF) [weighted mean difference (WMD) 5.49, 95% CI 3.62 to 7.36, P < 0.001] were obviously improved. The N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) level (WMD -310.23, 95% CI -385.89 to -234.57, P < 0.001) and the LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (WMD -3.16, 95% CI -4.59 to -1.73, P < 0.001) were also significantly lower in sacubitril-valsartan group than in ACEI/ARB group. Regarding safety, sacubitril-valsartan did not increase the risk of hypotension, hyperkalaemia, angioedema, and cough.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis suggests that early administration of sacubitril-valsartan may be superior to conventional ACEI/ARB to decrease the risk of hospitalization for HF, improve the cardiac function, and reverse the LV remodelling in patients following AMI.

ACEi/ARBs associate with lower incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in peritoneal dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is widespread in patients with impaired renal function. Whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACEi/ARBs) potentially take a crucial role in avoiding GIB incidence among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is unknown.

METHODS

Overall, 734 PD patients were enrolled after using propensity score matching. Kaplan-Meier analysis and COX regression were used to explore correlation between ACEi/ARBs and GIB. Competitive risk model was aimed to identify whether other events were confounding factors. Forest plot was applied to assess the influence of ACEI/ARBs on GIB incidence in different groups.

RESULTS

During 8-year follow-up, 89 (12.13%) cases of GIB were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the incidence of GIB among patients taking ACEi/ARBs was lower than those subjects who had not (log rank = 6.442, P = 0.011). After adjusted different confounding factors, administration of ACEi/ARBs was associated with lowered GIB incidence (adjusted HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.32-0.77, P = 0.002). In competitive risk model, considering of other events, the incidence of GIB in two groups was still statistically significant (P = 0.010). Subgroup analysis showed ACEi/ARBs taking impeded GIB in the ≥ 60 age group (HR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.28-0.98, P = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

PD patients who were submitted to ACEi/ARBs inclined to have a lower risk for GIB. In this regard, ACEi/ARBs offered a promising choice to GIB.

Patterns of Use and Clinical Outcomes with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Acute Heart Failure and Changes in Kidney Function: An Analysis of the Veterans' Health Administrative Database

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine patterns and predictors of utilization of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARBs) in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and changes in kidney function at admission, hospitalization, and discharge in relation to clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis of the Veterans' Health Administration data (2016) included patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction who were hospitalized. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration <15 cm3/min/1.73 m2 and those on dialysis were excluded. Patients were categorized based on the use of ACEI/ARB as continued, initiated, discontinued, or no therapy. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated predictors of being discharged home on an ACEI/ARB. Cox regression analysis evaluated outcomes (30 and 180-day mortality/HF readmissions).

RESULTS

3,652 patients were included, of which 37% of patients hospitalized for AHF had ACEI/ARB discontinued on admission, or not initiated. After adjusting for age, blood pressure, and serum potassium, a per-unit increase in admission serum creatinine (SCr) was independently associated with lower rates of continuation or initiation of ACEI/ARB odds ratio 0.51 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.46-0.57). Discharge on ACEI/ARB was independently associated with lower odds of 30- and 180-day mortality hazard ratio (HR) 0.36 95% CI (0.25-0.52), and HR 0.23 95% CI (0.19-0.27), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Higher SCr at admission is an important determinant of ACEI/ARB being discontinued or withheld in patients admitted with AHF. ACEI/ARB at discharge was associated with lower mortality in patients with AHF.

Short-term effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on choroidal vascularity

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors on choroidal vascularity using the binarization method in a group of treatment-naïve hypertensive patients.

METHODS

There were 48 treatment-naive hypertensive patients who were diagnosed according to the "2013 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology" guideline and started angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril (Coversyl) in the study. As a control group, 48 healthy volunteers were randomly selected among people who attended the outpatient clinic for routine ophthalmological examination. Enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) images were captured at baseline and at 1 month after treatment. Binarization of the EDI-OCT images was performed by Image-J software.  The choroidal thickness (CT), total choroidal area, luminal area, stromal area, and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were measured.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant increase in CT at all locations (subfoveal, nasal, and temporal) at 1 month after treatment compared with baseline (for all, p˂0.001). Choroidal structural parameters and the mean CVI were statistically significantly increased at 1 month after treatment (for all, p˂0.001). When compared, there was no statistically significant difference for the vascular parameters between the control group and the patient group at 1 month (for all, p>0.05).

CONLUSION

A statistically significant improvement was demonstrated in the choroidal vascular parameters except for the stromal area after treating with an ACE inhibitor in a group of hypertensive patients.

Risk factors of beta-lactam anaphylaxis in Korea: A 6-year multicenter retrospective adult case-control study

Background

Beta-lactams (BLs) are commonly used antibiotics and leading causative agents of drug-induced anaphylaxis. Few studies on the culprit drugs and risk factors of BL-induced anaphylaxis are available. Our goal was to evaluate the culprit drugs and compare the risk factors in patients with BL-induced anaphylaxis to matched tolerant controls in a hospital setting.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled all patients who developed anaphylaxis from intravenous BL during hospitalization from 9 Korean hospitals. We compared clinical parameters between patients with BL-induced anaphylaxis and 4-fold BL-tolerant controls matched by age, sex, BL use, and the purpose of BL administration.

Results

Seventy-four cases of BL-induced anaphylaxis and 296 BL-tolerant controls were enrolled. Cephalosporin accounted for 77% of total BL-induced anaphylaxis, and the top derivatives were ceftriaxone (23.0%), cefazedone (10.8%), and cefbuperazone (9.5%). Among penicillin derivatives, piperacillin (16.2%) was the most common, followed by ampicillin (2.7%). History of drug allergy (odds ratio [OR], 19.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.33–74.44), previous exposure to the causative BL (OR, 7.71; 95% CI, 1.62–36.76), and concurrent administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (OR, 5.97; 95% CI, 1.28–27.91) were independent risk factors associated with BL-induced anaphylaxis. Food allergy (OR, 13.93; 95% CI 1.31–148.9) and previous exposure to BL (OR, 6.59; 95% CI, 1.30–33.31) were identified as risk factors for cephalosporin-induced anaphylaxis.

Conclusions

To prevent BL-induced anaphylaxis, attention should be paid to histories of drug or food allergy, previous exposure to BLs, and ACEI use. The risk factors and clinical outcomes might vary according to the BL classes.

Association between bone measures and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use in women was associated with lower femoral neck and lumbar spine bone mineral density as well as trabecular bone score compared to non-users. No differences were identified for men or for those who used ARB medications.

PURPOSE

Many individuals at high fracture risk use medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) that could affect bone; thus, this study aimed to investigate whether there are any differences in bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) between ACEI users, ARB users, and non-users.

METHODS

Participants (685 men, 573 women) were from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Current medication use was self-reported. BMD at the femoral neck (FNBMD) and lumbar spine (LSBMD) were measured using DXA. TBS was calculated using TBS iNsight software. Linear regression models were used to investigate associations between ACEI or ARB use and bone measures, adjusting for other potential confounders. Due to interaction terms, data were stratified by age.

RESULTS

There were 88 (12.8%) men and 41 (7.2%) women taking an ACEI medication, and 71 (10.4%) men and 76 (13.3%) women taking an ARB medication. Compared to non-users, ACEI use was associated with lower FNBMD (- 7.2%), LSBMD (- 12.2%), and TBS (- 9.0%) for women aged < 65 years. Lower TBS was also observed for women aged ≥ 65 years (- 17.3%). No differences were identified for ARB use.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who used an ACEI medication had lower values for FNBMD, LSBMD and TBS compared to non-users. No differences were identified for men or for those who used ARB medications.

Meta-analysis of the association between angiotensin pathway inhibitors and COVID-19 severity and mortality

BACKGROUND

Conflicting findings and the analysis of unpublished and retracted data have led to controversy on the safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in people with COVID-19 infection. This meta-analysis examined the association of prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) with the outcome from COVID-19.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted to find published studies that reported the outcome of COVID-19 in relation to prescription of ACEI or ARB. Two authors (MF and AD) independently screened and extracted data and assessed study quality and strength of association using standardised tools. The endpoints for the meta-analyses were severe or critical disease outcome and mortality based on standardised criteria.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies including 8389 people prescribed ACEI or ARB and 20,989 people not prescribed these medications were included. The quality of studies varied, and the overall strength of association was poor with a high risk of confounding bias. Patients prescribed ACEI or ARB had a greater prevalence of risk factors. Meta-analysis found an association between prescription of ACEI or ARB with severe or critical disease outcome (risk ratio, RR, 1.23, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.06 to 1.42, p = 0.006, I2 = 88%) but this association was lost in sensitivity analyses. There was no association between ACEI or ARB prescription and mortality (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.50, p = 0.19, I2 = 82%).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis suggests that people prescribed ACEI or ARB more commonly had severe or critical disease outcome, but not mortality, in published cohorts of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. This finding is most likely due to a greater prevalence of risk factors in these patients rather than due to exposure to angiotensin pathway inhibitors.

[Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system]

Chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are often progressive and usually associated with a relatively slow loss of function. This principally offers the opportunity for drug interventions over a prolonged period. The prerequisite is that clear therapeutic targets can be identified. One of the most important targets is the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), the activation of which is a key contributor to the progression and deterioration of renal function. This article reviews the pathomechanistic principles of RAAS-mediated renal damage and the pharmaceutical possibilities for inhibition of the RAAS. The evidence from clinical studies on nephroprotection is summarized and the international guideline recommendations are discussed. As a future perspective, the novel possibility of a combined add-on treatment with nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists is discussed based on the FIDELIO-DKD study.

Overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 by renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. Truth or myth? A systematic review of animal studies

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protects against organ damage in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases by counter regulating the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). ACE2 is also the receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Based on the claim that RAS inhibitors (RASIs) cause ACE2 overexpression in some animal experiments, concerns have arisen that RASIs may aggravate SARS-CoV-2 infection and coronavirus disease-2019 severity in RASI-treated patients. To achieve a comprehensive review, a systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed was conducted regarding the effects of RASIs on tissue ACE2 mRNA/protein expression in healthy animals and animal models of human diseases. We identified 88 eligible articles involving 168 experiments in the heart, kidneys, lungs, and other organs. Three of 38 experiments involving healthy animals showed ACE2 expression greater than twice that of the control (overexpression). Among 102 disease models (130 experiments), baseline ACE2 was overexpressed in 16 models (18 experiments) and less than half the control level (repression) in 28 models (40 experiments). In 72 experiments, RASIs did not change ACE2 levels from the baseline levels of disease models. RASIs caused ACE2 overexpression compared to control levels in seven experiments, some of which were unsupported by other experiments under similar conditions. In 36 experiments, RASIs reversed or prevented disease-induced ACE2 repression, yielding no or marginal changes. Therefore, ACE2 overexpression appears to be a rare rather than common consequence of RASI treatment in healthy animals and disease models. Future studies should clarify the pathophysiological significance of RASI-induced reversal or prevention of ACE2 repression in disease models.

Associastion of In-hospital Use of Statins, Aspirin, and Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Inhibitors with Mortality and ICU Admission Due to COVID-19

The exaggerated host response to Sars-CoV-2 plays an important role in COVID-19 pathology but provides a therapeutic opportunity until definitive virus targeted therapies and vaccines become available. Given a central role of endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation, repurposing ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), statins, and aspirin has been of interest. In this retrospective, single-center study, we evaluated the primary outcomes of mortality and ICU admission in 587 hospitalized patients with documented COVID-19 with or without ACEIs, ARBs, statins, and aspirin. Atorvastatin was associated with reduced mortality, which persisted after adjusting for age, lockdown status, and other medications (OR: 0.18. 95% CI: 0.06-0.49, P = 0.001). ACEIs were also associated with reduced mortality in the crude model (OR: 0.20, CI: 0.06-0.66, P = 0.008), as ACEIs and ARBs were combined as a single group (OR: 0.35, CI: 0.16-0.75, P = 0.007), although ARBs alone did not reach statistical significance. There was no association between any medications and risk of ICU admission. Aspirin only achieved a significant association of reduced mortality in a subgroup of patients with diabetes in the crude model (OR: 0.17, CI: 0.04-0.80, P = 0.02). The reduced mortality observed with atorvastatin is consistent with other literature, and consideration should be given to atorvastatin as a COVID-19 treatment. While there was suggested benefit of ACEIs and ARBs in the present study, other studies are varied and further studies are warranted to recommend employing these medications as a treatment strategy. Nevertheless, this study combined with others continues to give credibility that ACEIs and ARBs are safe to continue in the setting of COVID-19.

Effects of angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization reported that 28637952 people worldwide had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by September 13.

AIM

The aim was to investigate whether long-term use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension aggravates the performance of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of lung computed tomography (CT) data and laboratory values of COVID-19 patients with hypertension who were admitted to Huoshenshan Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, between February 18 and March 31, 2020. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 19 people who were long-term users of RAAS inhibitors for hypertension; and group B included 28 people who were randomly selected from the database and matched with group A by age, sex, basic diseases, and long-term use of other antihypertensive drugs. All patients underwent a series of CT and laboratory tests. We compared the most severe CT images of the two groups and the laboratory examination results within 2 d of the corresponding CT images.

RESULTS

The time until the most severe CT images from the onset of COVID-19 was 30.37 ± 14.25 d group A and 26.50 ± 11.97 d in group B. The difference between the two groups was not significant (t = 1.01, P = 0.32). There were no significant differences in blood laboratory values, C-reactive protein, markers of cardiac injury, liver function, or kidney function between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the appearance of the CT images between the two groups. The semiquantitative scores of each involved lobe were 11.84 ± 5.88 in group A and 10.36 ± 6.04 group B. The difference was not significantly different (t = 0.84, P = 0.41).

CONCLUSION

Chest CT is an important imaging tool to monitor the characteristics of COVID-19 and the degree of lung injury. Chronic use of RAAS inhibitors is not related to the severity of COVID-19, and it does not worsen the clinical process.

The Number of Pills, Rather Than the Type of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitor, Predicts Ambulatory Blood Pressure Control in Essential Hypertensives on Triple Therapy: A Real-Life Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

We evaluated the prevalence and predictors of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) control in patients taking a triple antihypertensive therapy (renin–angiotensin system inhibitor + calcium channel blocker + thiazide/thiazide-like diuretic, in either free or fixed-dose combinations) containing an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).

Methods

We performed an observational cross-sectional study on 520 consecutive patients with essential hypertension taking a stable triple therapy in whom 24-h ambulatory BP was evaluated. Both number of pills and antihypertensive treatment intensity (ATI), as possible pharmacological predictors of ambulatory BP control, were taken into account.

Results

A total of 189 (36.3%) patients were taking triple therapy with ACEi and 331 (63.7%) patients were taking triple therapy with ARB. Mean age was 62.7 ± 12.2 years. Patients on triple therapy with ACEi had a significantly lower ATI and took fewer antihypertensive pills than patients on triple therapy with ARB (22.2% of patients took a single-pill triple fixed-dose combination). Patients taking triple therapy with ACEi had higher prevalence of both 24-h (54.8% vs 44.0%; p = 0.019) and daytime BP control (61.8% vs 49.2%; p = 0.006) than patients taking triple therapy with ARB, even after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking habit, type 2 diabetes mellitus, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and ATI [OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–2.2) and OR 1.6 (95% CI 1.1–2.4), respectively]. However, these independent associations with ambulatory BP control were lost when the number of antihypertensive pills was included in the model.

Conclusion

The higher prevalence of ambulatory BP control found in patients taking a triple therapy with ACEi was affected by the lower number of antihypertensive pills taken, which was also the key predictor of ambulatory BP control in our study. This confirms the importance of fixed-dose combinations in the management of essential hypertension.