Coronavirus Medications for hypertension help against covid-19

Medications for hypertension they can fight the covid-19? A study carried out in Puerto Rico revealed that the medicines normally used to combat cardiovascular diseases, especially the Losartán, have a positive effect in counteracting the damage caused by the coronavirus.

Losartan’s effectiveness was tested in at least 70 patients in Caribbean territory, he said. Paul altieri, professor of Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean of the Medical Sciences Campus (RCM) of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and who directs the study.

He explained that drugs like Losartán Y Enalapril, which are used to treat hypertension and cardiovascular problems, are currently being applied successfully as a treatment for covid-19 on the island.

He said that the use of these two drugs is especially common in intensive care units.

“He Losartán, by coming into contact with cells, prevents them from being damaged by the virus covid-19“said the Puerto Rican doctor, adding that this process has already been verified in about 70 people, which has been collected in a study that is expected to be published shortly.

“It was verified that patients who were undergoing treatment with Losartán were less affected by the covid-19“, highlighted the specialist.

The process was verified by verifying that patients who suffered hypertension-related and cardiovascular diseases and therefore they were treated with Losartán reacted, once they were infected by the coronavirus, much better than other patients who only suffered covid-19 and that, therefore, they were not treated with this drug, which has been used for decades.

Altieri detailed that the human cells they have “indentations”, which he defined as entries that the virus takes advantage of to penetrate and kill them.

However, the Losartan enters these “indentations” and occupies a space in such a way that prevents the virus from entering cells.

He argued that, without a doubt, it is a discovery that can help combat the coronavirus in Puerto Rico and anywhere else in the world.

Altieri explained that the director of the RCM Department of Physiology, Nelson Escobales, and the doctor Maria Crespo, from that same medical center, are some of the doctors who already use Losartan and other similar drugs to combat covid-19.

Altieri, professor of medicine and physiology at the RCM School of Medicine, indicated that these drugs lodge in the receptors of human cells and prevent their penetration by producing a blockage.

“In my practice I have not seen patients who are using Losartan and have acquired the disease (coronavirus) in a severe degree. For this reason, we may see more young patients acquiring the virus. They are not using Losartán because they are too young to be hypertensive and their use is not indicated “, explained the doctor.

The researcher pointed out that progress is being made in the study thanks to the database of the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

The coronavirus in Puerto Rico

He dean of the ERCM School of Medicine, Agustin Rodriguez, stressed that he will be attentive to the contribution of Dr. Altieri and his group, since the findings that they manage to contribute to the treatment of the disease will be useful to combat the virus in Puerto Rico, where since the pandemic a total of 758 deaths.

In addition, the coronavirus has left 28 thousand 174 confirmed cases, of a total population on the island of 3.2 million inhabitants.

He Health Department of the island reported this Friday that 196 new confirmed cases and 117 additional probable cases were registered.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez, announced today a new executive order before the pandemic that allows, among other measures, a higher percentage of occupation in restaurants and other social spaces.

DMZ

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