@article {Larrosa-Garc{\'\i}aejhpharm-2021-003186, author = {Mar{\'\i}a Larrosa-Garc{\'\i}a and Sonia Garcia-Garcia and Javier Louro and Adri{\'a}n S{\'a}nchez-Montalv{\'a} and Julia Sampol Sirvent and Salvador August{\'\i}n Recio and Alfredo Guill{\'e}n del Castillo and Judit Riera-Arnau and Maria Queralt Gorgas and Marta Miarons}, title = {Use of chronic medications and risk of severe death due to COVID-19 in hospitalised patients}, elocation-id = {ejhpharm-2021-003186}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/ejhpharm-2021-003186}, publisher = {BMJ Specialist Journals}, abstract = {Objectives To evaluate the potential association between chronic exposure to medication and death related to COVID-19.Methods This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that included all patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 from 11 March to 4 June 2020 in our centre. Chronic patient medication was classified by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification; demographic and clinical data were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of death for each drug exposure; each aOR represents an independent model adjusted by clinical factors related to COVID-19 mortality.Results The study included 978 patients with a mean (SD) age of 64.5 (17.7) years who were predominantly male (531, 54.3\%). Of all 978 patients, 182 (18.61\%) died during the follow-up of the study. The most common Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 0, 4.2\% were smokers, 16.7\% were obese, 47.4\% had hypertension, and 19.4\% were diabetic. Most patients (70.8\%) were prescribed at least one treatment, 32.5\% used \>5 treatments, and 8.6\% \>10. Our data suggest that COVID-19 hospitalised patients taking trimethoprim and analogues, leukotriene receptor antagonists, calcineurin inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, selective immunosuppressants, propulsives, insulins and analogues, and benzodiazepine derivatives have a higher risk of death.Conclusions This study investigated the association between chronic exposure to drugs and the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. Our results have shed some light on the impact of chronic drug exposure on the risk of severe COVID-19; however, further research is needed to increase the understanding about its relevance.Data are available upon reasonable request.}, issn = {2047-9956}, URL = {https://ejhp.bmj.com/content/early/2022/10/27/ejhpharm-2021-003186}, eprint = {https://ejhp.bmj.com/content/early/2022/10/27/ejhpharm-2021-003186.full.pdf}, journal = {European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy} }