Doctors may have found a way to lessen the severity of the illness of coronavirus patients, as well as lower their risk of death, by using medication for high blood pressure. Although the study was an observational meta-analysis, it provides a silver lining to the current woes faced by COVID-19 patients.

In a study published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports journal, researchers from the University of East Anglia analysed 19 studies, which involved roughly 28,000 patients who were taking different high blood pressure mediations. Some of the drugs that the patients were taking include Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEi).

The researchers based the analysis on the "critical" outcomes of patients, ICU admissions, the need of putting the patient on a ventilator, and death. After careful evaluation, the researchers saw that those who took either the ACEi or the ARB had decreased mortality and the severity of their illness was also reduced.

In terms of having a critical outcome, COVID-19 patients who were taking blood pressure medications had a 0.67 percent lower risk of suffering from a fatal outcome, and a lower risk of death, as compared to those who do not take the medications ACEi/ARB.

In a news release by the university, Dr Vassilios Vassiliou of UEA's Norwich Medical School and the study's lead researcher revealed that the lower risk of critical outcomes and death in COVID-19 patients may be indicative of a protective role for those who are suffering from hypertension.

According to Vassiliou, it is important to understand the relationship between the blood pressure medications and its effects in coronavirus patients, adding that this is further highlighted due to the expected second wave of the pandemic.

While the researchers concluded that there is no direct association between the hypertension medications ACEi and ARB with that of coronavirus, they do recommend that patients continue to use them, especially if they were already taking them.

Coronavirus patient Coronavirus patient
This image released by Northwestern Medicine, shows transplant surgeon, Ankit Bharat, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where surgeons have performed a double-lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient Photo: Northwestern Medicine / Laura Brown

They also underscored that it is not known whether starting the tablets for those who already have COVID-19 could improve their prognosis. They added that how the medications work in existing users of these medicines, and who later contracted coronavirus, might be different if they contract the disease first then start with the said medication.