Clinical trial NCT04467931: ACEI or ARB and COVID-19 Severity and Mortality in US Veterans
Official title: Association Between Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Use and COVID-19 Severity and Mortality Among US Veterans
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Hypertension
COVID
Keywords: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
angiotensin receptor antagonist
Veterans
antihypertensive medications
Lead sponsor: University of Utah
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: VA Salt Lake City Health Care System
name: University of Pennsylvania
name: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
name: University of Florida
name: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
name: Boston University
name: Northwestern University
name: Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
name: Columbia University
name: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
First posted: 2020-07-13
Enrollment: 22213
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Aim 1: Positive test for SARS-CoV-2 in the outpatient setting, diagnosed with hypertension prior to the index date, and be treated with an antihypertensive in the 90 days prior to the index date.

Aim 2: Hospitalized for COVID-19, diagnosed with hypertension prior to the index date, and be treated with an antihypertensive in the 90 days prior to the index date.

ACEI/ARB vs. non-ACEI/ARB analyses (aims 1.1 and 2.1): Do not have compelling indications that would warrant preferential treatment with an ACEI or an ARB (i.e., diabetes, stroke, chronic kidney disease, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or coronary heart disease).

ACEI vs. ARB analyses (aims 1.2 and 2.2): Not concomitantly treated with an ACEI and an ARB in the 90 days prior to the index date, and must be treated with at least an ACEI or an ARB in the 90 days prior to the index date.

Brief summary: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, enters type II pneumocytes using angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). It is unclear whether ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) increase, decrease, or have no significant effect on ACE2 expression or activity. Therefore, ACEI and ARB may be harmful, beneficial, or have no impact on Coronavirus Disease 2019 severity and mortality. The Specific Aims of this observational study are: (1) Among SARS-CoV-2-positive outpatients, compare all-cause hospitalization and mortality rates between: 1.1 Current users of a range of doses of ACEI/ARB- vs. non- ACEI/ARB-based regimens, and 1.2 Current users of a range of doses of ACEI- vs. ARB-based regimens, and (2) Among those hospitalized for COVID-19, compare all-cause mortality between: 2.1 Current users of a range of doses of ACEI/ARB- vs. non- ACEI/ARB-based regimens, and 2.2 Current users of a range of doses of ACEI- vs. ARB-based regimens.

Detailed description: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has killed \>129,000 Americans as of June 30, 2020. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, enters type II pneumocytes using angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase ACE2 expression. Theoretically, if ACEI/ARB use increases ACE2 expression in the lungs, ACEI/ARBs could promote SARS-CoV-2 entry into type II pneumocytes and worsen COVID-19 infection. In contrast, other evidence suggests that ACEI/ARBs may mitigate virus-induced inflammatory responses in the lungs by upregulating ACE2-mediated generation of the vasodilator and anti-inflammatory protein angiotensin-(1-7), thereby preventing tissue damage. Few data exist on the direction or magnitude of the association between ACEI/ARB use and COVID-19 severity, and whether these associations differ between ACEIs and ARBs. Because ACEI/ARBs are among the most commonly used prescription medications, it is critical to determine if ACEI/ARB users have a differential risk of more severe COVID-19 infection compared to non-users. The objective of this study is to reduce morbidity and mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic by generating timely evidence on the direction and magnitude of the association between ACEI/ARB use and COVID-19 severity and mortality.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Positive SARS-CoV-2 test in the outpatient setting (Aim 1) or hospitalized for COVID-19 (Aim 2)
* Meet continuous enrollment criteria (≥1 inpatient or any outpatient encounter in each of the two, six-month periods during the 365 days prior to the index date)
* Do not have data inconsistencies (test patients, not Veterans, multiple death dates in data, or not alive on index date)
* Diagnosed with hypertension at any point prior to the index date
* Had at least one prescription dispensed for an antihypertensive medication in the 90 days prior to the index date

Exclusion Criteria:

* Aim 1.1 and 2.1 (ACEI/ARB vs. non-ACEI/ARB comparison): diagnosed with a compelling indication for ACEI/ARB at any point prior to the index date (i.e., diabetes, stroke, chronic kidney disease, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or coronary heart disease)
* Aim 1.2 and 2.2 (ACE vs. ARB comparison): prescription fills for both an ACEI and an ARB in the 90 days prior to the index date; no prescription fill for an ACEI or an ARB in the 90 days prior to the index date

Primary outcomes:
measure: All-Cause-Hospitalization or All-Cause Mortality
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
measure: All-Cause Mortality
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
Secondary outcomes:
measure: ICU admission
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
measure: Mechanical ventilation
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
measure: Dialysis
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
Other outcomes:
measure: Negative control outcomes (Gastrointestinal bleed or urinary tract infection)
timeFrame: Through study completion (October 21, 2020).
Locations:
city: Salt Lake City
country: United States
facility: University of Utah
state: Utah
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Utah
name: Adam P Bress, PharmD, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Derington CG, Cohen JB, Mohanty AF, Greene TH, Cook J, Ying J, Wei G, Herrick JS, Stevens VW, Jones BE, Wang L, Zheutlin AR, South AM, Hanff TC, Smith SM, Cooper-DeHoff RM, King JB, Alexander GC, Berlowitz DR, Ahmad FS, Penrod MJ, Hess R, Conroy MB, Fang JC, Rubin MA, Beddhu S, Cheung AK, Xian W, Weintraub WS, Bress AP. Angiotensin II receptor blocker or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and COVID-19-related outcomes among US Veterans. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 23;16(4):e0248080. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248080. eCollection 2021.