Maintenance Immunosuppressive Drugs Tied to Severe COVID-19
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 7, 2023 -- Maintenance immunosuppressive drugs are associated with an increased risk for COVID-19 hospitalization in solid organ transplant recipients, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
Epiphane Kolla, M.D., M.P.H., from the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products in Paris, and colleagues examined factors associated with severe COVID-19 among solid organ transplant recipients. The analysis included 60,456 participants (median age, 59 years; 63.7 percent male; 68.6 percent kidney transplants, 23.9 percent liver transplants, 8.8 percent heart transplants, and 4.6 percent lung transplants).
The researchers found that 12.7 percent of kidney, 6.4 percent of liver, 12.9 percent of heart, and 18.0 percent of lung transplant recipients were hospitalized for COVID-19. Steroids and mycophenolic acid were associated with a high risk for hospitalization in kidney transplant recipients. Tacrolimus was associated with a decreased risk for hospitalization in liver transplant recipients, while steroids and mycophenolic acid were associated with an increased risk for hospitalizations. Cyclosporine was associated with a decreased risk for hospitalization in heart transplant recipients, while steroids, mycophenolic acid, sirolimus, and everolimus were associated with an increased risk for hospitalization. In lung transplant recipients, only steroids were associated with a high risk for COVID-19 hospitalization.
"Health care professionals should consider these results in treating solid organ transplant recipients with SARS-CoV-2 infection by reducing doses or modifying medications in some cases," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2023
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Higher COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Tied to Decrease in Childhood Asthma Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Higher COVID-19 vaccination rates are associated with a lower prevalence of parent-reported childhood asthma symptoms, according to a research letter...
COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...
Cannabis Use Tied to Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalizations, ICU Admissions
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- Current cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19–related complications, according to a study published online June 21...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.