The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a proliferation of clinical trials designed to slow the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many therapeutic agents that are being used to treat patients with COVID-19 are repurposed treatments for influenza, Ebola, or for malaria that were developed decades ago and are unlikely to be familiar to the cardiovascular and cardio-oncology communities. Here, the authors provide a foundation for cardiovascular and cardio-oncology physicians on the front line providing care to patients with COVID-19, so that they may better understand the emerging cardiovascular epidemiology and the biological rationale for the clinical trials that are ongoing for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
Keywords: ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ACE2; AT1R, angiotensin II type 1 receptor; CI, confidence interval; COVID-19; COVID-19, coronavirus disease-2019; CoV, coronavirus; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; IQR, interquartile range; MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome; RAS, renin-angiotensin system; RNA, ribonucleic acid; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2; TMPRSS2, transmembrane protease serine 2; clinical trials; renin angiotensin system; sACE2, soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.
© 2020 The Authors.