The angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker valsartan in the battle against COVID-19.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Angiotensin II.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses the host's angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a cellular entry point.

Therefore, modulating ACE2 might impact SARS-CoV-2 viral replication, shedding, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity.

Here, it was investigated whether the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker valsartan alters the expression of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components, including ACE2, in human adipose tissue (AT) and skeletal muscle.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 36 participants were involved.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Angiotensin II and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Angiotensin II, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Angiotensin II group a baseline to be compared against.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adipose Tissue, Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, COVID-19, Muscle, Skeletal, Renin-Angiotensin System and Valsartan.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Angiotensin II in 36 participants.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 2 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2021 (Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Angiotensin II compound page, all human trials.