Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04351581

Effects of Discontinuing Renin-angiotensin System Inhibitors in Patients With and Without COVID-19

Recent data from some of the earliest and worst affected countries of COVID-19 suggest a major overrepresentation of hypertension and diabetes among COVID-19-related deaths and among patients experiencing severe courses of the disease. The vast majority of patients with hypertension and/or diabetes are taking drugs targeting the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) because of their blood pressure-lowering and/or kidney-protective effects. Importantly, the virus causing COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the transmembrane protein angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) - an important component of RAS - for host cell entry and subsequent viral replication. ACE2 is normally considered to be an enzyme that limits airway inflammation via effects in RAS and increased ACE2 activity seems to alleviate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Importantly, evidence from human studies as well as rodent studies suggests that the inhibition of RAS by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) leads to upregulation of ACE2, and treatment with ARB leads to attenuation of SARS-CoV-induced ARDS. This is of interest, as the vast majority of deaths from COVID-19 are due to ARDS and expression of ACE2 has previously been shown to be reduced by the binding of SARS-CoV to ACE2. Thus, ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been suggested to alleviate the COVID-19 pulmonary manifestations. In contrast to these notions, concern has been raised that ACE2 upregulation (by RAS-inhibiting drugs) will multiply the cellular access points for viral entry and might increase the risk of severe progression of COVID-19. The multiplied viral entry points could perhaps explain the alarmingly high morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients with diabetes and/or hypertension. Thus, a delineation of the role of RAS for the course of COVID-19 is of crucial importance for the management of COVID-19 patients.

Aim:

This randomised clinical trial will investigate whether to continue or discontinue treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs in hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Medicine, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark

Loading trial locations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Group A and B

Inclusion criteria

  • Verified COVID-19
  • Hospital admitted
  • Daily administration of RAS-inhibiting therapy
  • Age 18 years and above
  • Informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with systolic heart failure (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction)
  • Severe kidney disease; defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <30 ml/min/1.73 m2
  • Severe hypertension; defined by systolic pressure >175 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure >105 mm Hg
  • Hypotension; defined by systolic pressure <100 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure <60 mm Hg
  • Non-compliance of RAS-inhibiting therapy; defined as an estimated adherence <80% assessed by a questionnaire in combination with checking the Danish electronic medication system "FMK" (obligatory for clinicians in Denmark to ensure the Danish electronic medication system "FMK" is correct and up-to-date) for redeemed prescriptions in the last six months; in borderline cases, the participant is assumed compatible
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Contra indications for receiving ACE inhibitors or ARBs:
  • Severe liver disease
  • Hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to the therapy
  • Angioneurotic edema during previous treatments
  • Family history of or previous idiopathic angioneurotic edema
  • Treatment with sacubitril/valsartan or aliskiren

Group C and D:

Inclusion criteria

  • Daily administration of RAS-inhibiting therapy
  • Age 18 years and above
  • Informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with systolic heart failure (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction)
  • Severe kidney disease; defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <30 ml/min/1.73 m2
  • Severe hypertension; defined by systolic pressure >175 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure >105 mm Hg
  • Hypotension; defined by systolic pressure <100 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure <60 mm Hg
  • Non-compliance of RAS-inhibiting therapy; defined as an estimated adherence <80% assessed by a questionnaire in combination with checking the Danish electronic medication system "FMK" (obligatory for clinicians in Denmark to ensure the Danish electronic medication system "FMK" is correct and up-to-date) for redeemed prescriptions in the last six months; in borderline cases, the participant is assumed compatible
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Contra indications for receiving ACE inhibitors or ARBs:
  • Severe liver disease
  • Hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to the therapy
  • Angioneurotic edema during previous treatments
  • Family history of or previous idiopathic angioneurotic edema
  • Treatment with sacubitril/valsartan or aliskiren

Treatment and study plan

Discontinuation of ACEi/ARB

Other

Discontinuation of ACEi/ARB

Continuation of ACEi/ARB

Other

Continuation of ACEi/ARB

Primary outcomes

  1. Days alive and out of hospital within 14 days after recruitment (group A vs. group B).

    Time frame: 14 days

    The primary endpoint is days alive and out of hospital within 14 days after recruitment on which a patient satisfies categories 0, 1 or 2 on the eight-category ordinal scale.

    WHO defined Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement:

    • Not hospitalized, no clinical or virological evidence of infection
    • Not hospitalized, no limitations of activities
    • Not hospitalized, limitation of activities
    • Hospitalized, no oxygen therapy
    • Hospitalized, oxygen by mask or nasal prongs
    • Hospitalized, non-invasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen
    • Hospitalized, intubation and mechanical ventilation
    • Hospitalized, ventilation and additional organ support - pressors, rapid response team (RRT), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
    • Death

Secondary outcomes

  1. Key-secondary composite endpoint: Occurrence of worsening of COVID-19 (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    The key-secondary composite endpoint is the occurrence of worsening of COVID-19 (group A vs. group B) as assessed by when a patient satisfies category 6, 7 or 8 on the ordinal scale within the trial period.

  2. Occurrence and time to occurrence of each of the components of the key-secondary composite endpoint (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Occurrence and time to occurrence of each of the components of the key-secondary composite endpoint

  3. Kidney function assessed by plasma creatinine (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Kidney function assessed by plasma creatinine

  4. Duration of index hospitalisation (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Duration of index hospitalisation

  5. 30-day mortality (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    30-day mortality

  6. Number of days alive during the intervention period (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Number of days alive during the intervention period

  7. Number of participants not yet discharged at day 30 (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Number of participants not yet discharged at day 30

  8. Number of readmissions after 30 days. (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Number of readmissions after 30 days.

  9. Kidney function as assessed by eGFR (group A vs. group B)

    Time frame: 30 days

    Kidney function as assessed by eGFR

Other outcomes

  1. Support for clinical findings via relevant blood markers

    Time frame: 30 days

    To support the clinical findings, blood samples will be analysed for ACE, ACE2, aldosterone, angiotensin II and renin, and expression of ACE, interferon signatures and T cell exhaustion markers.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Gentofte, Copenhagen

Other

Registry information

Acronym: RASCOVID-19

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Apr 17, 2020
Registry last updated
Jan 18, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.