7 In a nationwide cohort, we used the opposing effects of endocrine therapy in patients with BC and women taking postmenopausal HT in modulating systemic oestrogen levels as a model to test the hypothesis that increased oestrogen levels are protective towards COVID-19 death. On the other hand, systemic oestrogen levels are augmented in women taking postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) to relieve menopausal symptoms. The majority of patients with breast cancer (BC) have oestrogen receptor-positive cancer 6 and are usually given adjuvant endocrine therapy after surgery in order to reduce the risk of cancer recurrences, leading to reduced systemic oestrogen levels. 3–5 This implies biological differences between the sexes in terms of sensitivity to severe COVID-19, and oestrogen has been identified as a potential therapeutic candidate. 1 2 Similar epidemiological findings have also been described for SARS-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections. Although women are infected, they appear to be protected from poor outcomes when compared with men even after adjustment for confounding risk factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe causing enormous strain on societies and healthcare systems.
0 kommentar(er)
