Men's blood has higher levels than women's of a key enzyme used by the new coronavirus to infect cells, the results of a big European study showed Monday — a finding that may help explain why men are more vulnerable to infection with COVID-19.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found in the heart, kidneys and other organs. In COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, it is thought to play a role in how the infection progresses into the lungs.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, also found that widely prescribed drugs called ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) did not lead to higher ACE2 concentrations and should therefore not increase the COVID-19 risk for people taking them.
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