Hydroxychloroquine is protective to the heart, not harmful: A systematic review
Prodromos,
Hydroxychloroquine is protective to the heart, not harmful: A systematic review,
, C., New Microbes and New Infections, doi:10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100747
Review concluding that HCQ/AZ does not cause Torsade de Pointes or related deaths, HCQ decreases cardiac events, and HCQ should not be restricted in use for COVID-19 patients because of fear of cardiac mortality.
Prodromos et al., 20 Aug 2020, peer-reviewed, 3 authors.
Abstract: MINI-REVIEW
Hydroxychloroquine is protective to the heart, not harmful: a systematic
review
C. C. Prodromos, T. Rumschlag and T. Perchyk
Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine, 1714 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL, 60025, USA
Abstract
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been shown to be at least somewhat effective in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Recently the US Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warnings of fatal cardiac toxicity from torsades
de pointes (TDP) arrhythmia from HCQ receipt have been made, notwithstanding the long safe provision of HCQ to treat lupus and rheumatoid
arthritis. This has resulted in restricted access of HCQ for COVID-19 treatment. We hypothesized that HCQ and azithromycin have not been
reported to cause significant acute cardiac arrhythmic mortality. We performed a literature search for the effects of HCQ and azithromycin on the
heart. No TDP or related deaths were found to have been reported as a result of HCQ and azithromycin receipt in the peer-reviewed literature.
On the contrary, HCQ and azithromycin were both found to substantially reduce cardiac mortality and also decrease thrombosis, arrhythmia and
cholesterol in treated patients in recent peer-reviewed studies and meeting presentations. HCQ and azithromycin do not cause TDP cardiac
mortality; rather, HCQ decreases cardiac events. HCQ should not be restricted in COVID-19 patients out of fear of cardiac mortality.
© 2020 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: Azithromycin, COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine, SARS-CoV-2
Original Submission: 24 June 2020; Revised Submission: 13 August 2020; Accepted: 17 August 2020
Article published online: 20 August 2020
Corresponding author: C. C. Prodromos, Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine, 1714 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview,
IL 60025, USA.
E-mail: research@ismoc.net
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