Dataset Information

Sex Differences in Association Between Anti-Hypertensive Medications and Risk of COVID-19 in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is ongoing debate about the associations between drug therapies targeting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and adverse outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective

This study aims to examine the associations between using medications for the cardiovascular system and the risks associated with COVID-19 in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods

A total of 77,221 participants (aged 50-86 years) from UK Biobank were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The medications included angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB), β-blockers, calcium channel blockers (CCB), statins, and aspirin. COVID-19 outcomes comprised a positive test result and severity of COVID-19 (defined as mild, hospitalization or death). We evaluated the risk among total participants and for sub-groups based on sex. Propensity score matching was performed 1:1 and logistic regression models were used.

Results

Among the middle- and older aged participants, no significant associations between any class of medications and the likelihood of COVID-19 infection were observed. ACEI were associated with a higher mortality risk from COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.32) and CCB were associated with a lower hospitalization risk for COVID-19 (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.79-0.96) among the male patients with COVID-19, while a lower mortality risk from COVID-19 (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.96) was observed with ARB among the female patients with COVID-19.

Conclusions

The study suggested sex differences in the risk of death from COVID-19 with the use of ACEI and ARB among middle-aged and older adults. Sex differences in the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 with the use of CCB was observed as well. It is of clinical importance that clinicians adopt different CVD treatment approaches for female and male patients with COVID-19.

SUBMITTER: Ma Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8370833 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Randomized trials of anti-hypertensive treatment demonstrating reduced risk of cardiovascular events in older adults included participants with less comorbidity than clinical populations. Whether these results generalize to all older adults, most of whom have multiple chronic conditions, is uncertain.To determine the association between anti-hypertensive medications and CV events and mortality in a nationally representative population of older adults.Competing risk analysis with propensity score adjustment and matching in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey cohort over three-year follow-up through 2010.4,961 community-living participants with hypertension.Anti-hypertensive medication intensity, based on standardized daily dose for each anti-hypertensive medication class participants used.Cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cardiac revascularization, stroke, and hospitalizations for heart failure) and mortality.Of 4,961 participants, 14.1% received no anti-hypertensives; 54.6% received moderate, and 31.3% received high, anti-hypertensive intensity. During follow-up, 1,247 participants (25.1%) experienced cardiovascular events; 837 participants (16.9%) died. Of deaths, 430 (51.4%) occurred in participants who experienced cardiovascular events during follow-up. In the propensity score adjusted cohort, after adjusting for propensity score and other covariates, neither moderate (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.89-1.32]) nor high (1.16 [0.94-1.43]) anti-hypertensive intensity was associated with experiencing cardiovascular events. The hazard ratio for death among all participants was 0.79 [0.65-0.97] in the moderate, and 0.72 [0.58-0.91] in the high intensity groups compared with those receiving no anti-hypertensives. Among participants who experienced cardiovascular events, the hazard ratio for death was 0.65 [0.48-0.87] and 0.58 [0.42-0.80] in the moderate and high intensity groups, respectively. Results were similar in the propensity score-matched subcohort.In this nationally representative cohort of older adults, anti-hypertensive treatment was associated with reduced mortality but not cardiovascular events. Whether RCT results generalize to older adults with multiple chronic conditions remains uncertain.

Project description:BackgroundThis study investigated the sex-specific incidence of asthma and the effects of modifiable risk factors, particularly obesity, on asthma incidence among middle-aged and older individuals in Korea.MethodsWe used data from the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS), which includes health examinees aged 40-79?years in 2002-2003. In total, 459,529 participants with baseline anthropometric measurements were followed-up for 10?years and the development of asthma was evaluated (2004-2013). For subgroup analysis, 246,019 participants who had body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements taken in 2008-2009 were included in the analysis of the asthma incidence for 2010-2013. Factors associated with asthma were analysed using Cox proportional hazard models.ResultsThe cohort comprised 4,248,813 (men, 2,358,541; women, 1,890,272) person-years of follow-up for 2004-2013. The asthma incidence was 10.58 and 15.03 per 1000 person-years for men and women, respectively. Asthma incidence increased with age, notably so in men. Obesity based on the baseline BMI was significantly associated with asthma development in both sexes (men, HR?=?1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?1.13-1.34; women, HR?=?1.40 95% CI?=?1.32-1.48). High WC was also related to asthma incidence in both sexes with statistical significance (men, HR?=?1.34, 95% CI?=?1.16-1.57; women, HR?=?1.19 95% CI?=?1.03-1.37). Analysis of the combined effects of BMI and WC showed that men had a higher asthma risk in the group with both general obesity and abdominal obesity than in the group with non-abdominal obesity and normal BMI. However, obese women had a higher risk of asthma regardless of abdominal obesity. Similarly, smoking was associated with asthma in both sexes but drinking and physical activity showed different associations between the sexes.ConclusionsOur results revealed that asthma incidence was substantially high at old age and lifestyle factors were associated with asthma development. Practical strategies including weight control and healthy lifestyle modification are required to prevent asthma in older people.

Project description:BackgroundThe impacts of age and sex on brain structures related to cognitive function may be important for understanding the role of aging in Alzheimer disease for both sexes. We intended to investigate the age and sex differences of cortical morphology in middle-aged and older adults and their relationships with the decline of cognitive function.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we examined the cortical morphology in 204 healthy middle-aged and older adult participants aged 45 to 89 years using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data from the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study data set. Brain cortical thickness, surface complexity, and gyrification index were analyzed through a completely automated surface-based morphometric analysis using the CAT12 toolbox. Furthermore, we explored the correlation between cortical morphology differences and test scores for processing speed and working memory.ResultsThere were no significant interactions of age and sex with cortical thickness, fractal dimension, or gyrification index. Rather, we found that both males and females showed age-related decreases in cortical thickness, fractal dimension, and gyrification index. There were significant sex differences in the fractal dimension in middle-aged participants and the gyrification index in older adult participants. In addition, there were significant positive correlations between the cortical thickness of the right superior frontal gyrus and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)-III Letter-Number Sequencing test scores in males (r=0.394; P<0.001; 95% CI for r values 0.216-0.577) and females (r=0.344; P<0.001; 95% CI for r values 0.197-0.491), respectively. Furthermore, a significant relationship between the gyrification index of the right supramarginal gyrus (SupraMG) and WAIS-III Digit Symbol test scores was observed in older adult participants (r=0.375; P<0.001; 95% CI for r values 0.203-0.522).ConclusionsThe results suggest that, compared with males, females have more extensive differences in cortical morphology. The gyrification index of the right SupraMG can be used as an imaging marker of sexual cognitive differences between males and females in older adults. This study helps to further understand sex differences in the aging of the brain and cognition.