Should we continue to use renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers in patients with COVID-19?

Abstract

Patients with chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and hypertension have an increased risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related death. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS) blockers are commonly prescribed to decrease morbidity and mortality in these conditions. Following the pre-clinical demonstration of COVID-19 viral entry into cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, the use of RAS blockers was questioned in infected individuals. Theodorakopoulou et al. extensively review the pathophysiology behind that hypothesis and observational or clinical trials on RAS blockers and COVID-19. Despite being a scientific hot spot of an ongoing debate, discontinuation of RAS blockers is not associated with improved clinical outcomes in COVID-19 and may have potential harmful effects, including exacerbation of the underlying disease.