Could it be that commonly used blood pressure-lowering affect the course of the disease with the new Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2? "This is still just a hypothesis. But it would explain an anomaly," says Rami summer stone, a senior physician at the University clinic for infectious diseases at the Inselspital Bern.

Typically, in the case of certain cold viruses or the flu, according to the summer stone, especially people with immune deficiency or tumor suffering serious illness. Even pregnant women and babies are endangered, in some cases more. "As far as we know, this is not the new Coronavirus. This has surprised us."

According to the largest study in about 44'000 Patients in China, the risk for a severe course of the disease is increased instead, in people with high blood pressure, Diabetes, heart-vascular diseases and in an age of over 70 years. "It seems that even Heart patients have a higher risk. These are not all the classic risk groups. And it was the same with Sars as" notes of summer stone. Sars-CoV-2, and Sars are closely related. to think

What summer stone and his colleagues, the heart specialist Christoph Gräni, especially are: patients with this aforementioned disease to take, very often, certain blood pressure medicines, in particular so-called ACE-inhibitors (such as Lisinopril) or Sartans (for example, Losartan). Both types of blood pressure have a similar effect. In Switzerland, triggered in 2018 estimate nearly 1.2 million people are recipes for such ingredients. Alone, Lisinopril increased according to the Helsana medicine report, more than 160'000 people.

The viruses attach themselves in the lungs to a specific position

"I tried to find out what drugs have taken from the patients, and in patients who are severely ill with Covid-19, or even died," says summer stone. "But this is not reported in the previous studies." We have not yet investigated whether this could be an important factor.

The European centre for disease control (ECDC), where the threads are in Europe together, also collects no information on the use of these drugs in the Coronavirus Ill. "Then, too, in the case of Sars, no such studies have been made."

the infection Loge, of all things, this blood pressure-lowering drug has in its sights, is located on the biological characteristics of Sars-CoV-2. Noisy summer, stone was, as of the end of January it became known that these viruses attach in the lungs in certain Places. As a portal of Entry into the body, select the part where you normally ACE2 docks.

ACE2 is a body's own protein with multiple tasks: It lowers blood pressure and keeps the lungs from severe damage, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome in the Wake of pneumonia. ACE2 is ACE protein is related, which is blocked by the ACE inhibitors. Researchers have found in animal experiments that the administration of ACE inhibitors, the number of the ACE2-Docking sites increases. This would also be the people so, that could mean that the virus could penetrate due to these high blood pressure better in the lungs, that more viruses would penetrate and pneumonia severe would be.

However, in the case of the animal, significantly higher doses of medicine to try, as it is in the treatment of people usual. The question was, whether the taking of such drugs is related to a more severe course of the disease, says the summer of stone. To clarify "this, we would need rapid reliable data."

specialist doctors advise you not to be Concerned, blood pressure medicines

to send the other hypothesis States the opposite. "Yes, it is possible that the Coronavirus is from the heart patients and patients with a pneumonia or an inflammation of the heart muscle weakens. In this case, the blood pressure-lowering would be supportive of the heart," says Christoph Gräni, a Senior doctor at the University clinic for cardiology at the Inselspital. Currently, the role of the blood pressure is lowering is unclear, surprisingly, the possible connection between the virus and these are very often used in the medication.

in Order to inform doctors colleagues around the world quickly, have Gräni and summer stone sent last week a letter to the editor of the "British Medical Journal". "We hope that we will be toast as soon studies, to be able to find out more."

Up to it so far, recommend both doctors to all persons who take such drugs, it is urgently to experiment or their blood pressure-lowering drug to sell. "We know too little, in order to make a recommendation."

note:
This article was first published on 8. In March, the international women's day. On this occasion, we use – wherever possible – instead of the generic Maskulinums the generic feminine. For example: patients, instead of patients.

This Text is from the current issue. Now all of the articles in the E-Paper of the Sunday newspaper, read: App for iOS App for Android – Web-App

Created: 07.03.2020, 19:20 Uhr