DALLAS, April 8, 2020 – The global impact of COVID-19 continues to surge, and every day, the scientific community learns more about the impact and interaction of cardiovascular diseases with COVID-19. Together, the American Heart Association (AHA), the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) jointly published this new guidance, “Considerations for Drug Interactions on QTc in Exploratory COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) Treatment,” to detail critical cardiovascular considerations in the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19.

The antimalarial medication hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin are currently gaining attention as potential treatments for COVID-19, and each have potential serious implications for people with existing cardiovascular disease. Complications include severe electrical irregularities in the heart such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (including Torsade de Pointes) and long QT syndrome, and increased risk of sudden death. The effect on QT or arrhythmia of these two medications combined has not been studied.

Read the full press release published by the American Heart Association >>