Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34398893›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

No difference in biomarkers of ischemic heart injury and heart failure in patients with COVID-19 who received treatment with chloroquine phosphate and those who did not.

Josefine Beck-Friis, Susannah Leach, Elmir Omerovic, Rickard Zeijlon, Magnus Gisslen, Aylin Yilmaz

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 51% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Josefine Beck-FriisDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-2400-4092
Susannah LeachDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Elmir OmerovicDepartment of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Rickard ZeijlonDepartment of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6422-604X
Magnus GisslenDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Aylin YilmazDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sahlgrenska University Hospital · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChloroquine was promoted as a COVID-19 therapeutic early in the pandemic. Most countries have since discontinued the use of chloroquine due to lack of evidence of any benefit and the risk of severe adverse events. The primary aim of this study was to examine if administering chloroquine during COVID-19 imposed an increased risk of ischemic heart injury or heart failure.

methodsMedical records, laboratory findings, and electrocardiograms of patients with COVID-19 who were treated with 500 mg chloroquine phosphate daily and controls not treated with chloroquine were reviewed retrospectively. Controls were matched in age and severity of disease.

resultsWe included 20 patients receiving chloroquine (500 mg twice daily) for an average of five days, and 40 controls. The groups were comparable regarding demographics and biochemical analyses including C-reactive protein, thrombocytes, and creatinine. There were no statistically significant differences in cardiac biomarkers or in electrocardiograms. Median troponin T was 10,8 ng/L in the study group and 17.9 ng/L in the control group, whereas median NT-proBNP was 399 ng/L in patients receiving chloroquine and 349 ng/L in the controls.

conclusionsWe found no increased risk of ischemic heart injury or heart failure as a result of administering chloroquine. However, the use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside of clinical trials is not recommended, considering the lack of evidence of its effectiveness, as well as the elevated risk of fatal arrythmias.

Indexed as

AgedAntiviral AgentsBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesChloroquineCOVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentC-Reactive ProteinCreatinineElectrocardiographyFemaleHeart FailureHeart InjuriesHumansMaleMiddle AgedAntiviral AgentsBiomarkersChloroquinechloroquine diphosphateC-Reactive ProteinCreatinineNatriuretic Peptide, BrainPeptide Fragmentspro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76)Troponin T

Identifiers

PMID34398893
PMCPMC8366976
OpenAlexW3193822935

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.