New research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology stated that highly touted drugs, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine, which are being used to treat coronavirus patients, can lead to cardiovascular issues.
Authors of the study maintained that these drugs can cause life-threatening heart rhythm events, heart failure, and damage to the heart muscle itself (termed cardiomyopathy).
Study senior author Elad Maor of the Tel Aviv University in Israel, said in the study: “We show how these adverse events carry high risks for severe outcomes, including death, even with standard doses of the drugs.”
For the study, the team of researchers examined real-world data from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Events Reporting System, a global database of post-marketing safety reports.
The researchers then stated that HCQ or chloroquine are associated with cardiovascular problems and high rates of severe outcomes of Covid-19.
The study authors wrote: “It should be carefully considered as an off-label indication, especially for patients with cardiac disorders.”
“The take-home message of our work is that physicians around the world should be careful when prescribing these drugs,” Maor noted.
Another study published in the journal Lancet Rheumatology validates the findings as it says that HCQ and azithromycin (AZM) are linked to significant cardiovascular risks, including mortality.
According to a previous study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine last month, HCQ is ineffective for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms.