Key result
First-line antihypertensives linked to ~75% lower risk of in-hospital death in COVID-19 vs no treatment.
Why the study?
Cardiovascular diseases including arterial hypertension are common comorbidities in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, prompting assessment of the influence of preexisting hypertension and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy on in-hospital mortality.
Does prior treatment with first-line antihypertensive drugs reduce in-hospital mortality in hypertensive patients hospitalized with COVID-19?
Cohort (n=5,191)
No
Does prior treatment with first-line antihypertensive drugs reduce in-hospital mortality in hypertensive patients hospitalized with COVID-19?
Odds Ratio: 0.25 (95% CI 0.2–0.3)
p-value: p=<0.001
In patients hospitalized with COVID-19, preexisting hypertension itself did not increase mortality, but prior treatment with first-line antihypertensive drugs was associated with a significantly lower risk of in-hospital death.
Does not support practice change in COVID-19; leaves open a potential mortality benefit pending randomized confirmation.
Background: Cardiovascular diseases including arterial hypertension are common comorbidities among patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. We assessed the influence of preexisting hypertension and its pharmacological treatment on in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: We studied all consecutive patients who were admitted to the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland, due to COVID-19 between March 2020 and May 2021. Data of 5191 patients (mean age 61.9±16.7 years, 45.2% female) were analyzed. Results: The median hospitalization time was 14 days, and the mortality rate was 18.4%. About a quarter of patients had an established cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease (16.6%) or stroke (7.6%). Patients with hypertension (58.3%) were older and had more comorbidities than patients without hypertension. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age above median (64 years), male gender, history of heart failure or chronic kidney disease, and higher C-reactive protein level, but not preexisting hypertension, were independent risk factors for in-hospital death in the whole study group. Patients with hypertension already treated (n=1723) with any first-line antihypertensive drug (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or thiazide/thiazide-like diuretics) had a significantly lower risk of in-hospital death (odds ratio, 0.25 [95% CI, 0.2–0.3]; P <0.001) compared to nontreated hypertensives (n=1305). Conclusions: Although the diagnosis of preexisting hypertension per se had no significant impact on in-hospital mortality among patients with COVID-19, treatment with any first-line blood pressure–lowering drug had a profound beneficial effect on survival in patients with hypertension. These data support the need for antihypertensive pharmacological treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wojciechowska et al. (2022) conducted a cohort in COVID-19 (n=5,191). First-line antihypertensive drug vs. Nontreated hypertensives was evaluated on In-hospital death (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.2-0.3, p=<0.001). First-line antihypertensive treatment significantly reduced the risk of in-hospital death in COVID-19 patients with hypertension compared to no treatment (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.2-0.3; P<0.001).
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