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Late Breaking/Rapid Science Poster Session 2

(LB03-12-24) Role of Antioxidant Therapy in the Treatment and Prognosis of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Sunday, June 30, 2024
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM CT
Location: W185A-C - Poster Board 11

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Benita Hosseini, Dr

    Scientist/ Assistant Professor
    Unity Health Toronto & University of Toronto
    Maple, Ontario, Canada

Disclosure(s):
Benita Hosseini, Dr: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to summarize data from randomized control trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of antioxidant therapy in patients with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We searched the peer-reviewed indexed literature on MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Scopus, from inception to July 2023.

Results: The search identified 3306 articles from which 25 were included for quantitative synthesis, with five studies eligible for meta-analysis. Antioxidant therapies included zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and combination treatments. Zinc interventions showed mixed results regarding ICU admissions and hospital stays. Vitamin A studies indicated improvements in inflammatory markers. Vitamin C studies displayed inconsistent effects on clinical improvement and hospitalization. Combination treatments suggested benefits in symptom clearance and cytokine storm reduction. Meta-analysis of vitamin C studies found no significant difference in CRP levels (-0.50, 95%CI -3.63, 2.63; I2 = 0%), ICU stay duration (pooled MD 1.44, 95%CI 0.07, 2.81; I2 = 0%), or mortality (pooled OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.28, 1.09; I2 = 0%), with a slight trend favoring reduced hospitalization duration (pooled MD -2.37, 95%CI: -2.99, -1.76; I2 = 49%). Of the 25 studies, eight were high quality with low bias, six had some concerns, and eleven were low quality with high bias.

Conclusions: The review presents mixed efficacy of antioxidant therapies of SARS-CoV-2, with some studies indicating potential benefits. Further well-designed large-scale RCTs are warranted to determine the definitive role of antioxidants in SARS-CoV-2 treatment.

Funding Sources: Canadian Institute of Health Research