Safety and efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in aortic stenosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Although there are many studies showing potential benefit in aortic stenosis (AS) patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), but these studies are subject to significant selection and other biases, making the results challenging to interpret. Furthermore, the evidence on the use of ACEI in AS patients has not been reviewed systematically; we thus conducted this protocol assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of ACEI for patients with AS. METHODS: The following search terms will be used in PUBMED, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases on May, 2021, as the search algorithm: (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) OR (ACEI) AND (aortic stenosis) OR (AS). Two searchers will independently draft and carry out the search strategy, and the third member will further complete it. The studies on cohort study focusing on assessing the efficacy of ACEI on AS patients will be included in our meta-analysis. At least one of the following outcomes should have been measured: left ventricular mass, exercise tolerance, B-type natriuretic peptide, adverse event, functional outcomes, and aortic valve area. All outcomes are pooled on random-effect model. A P value of <.05 is considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The results of this research will be delivered in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Depending on the previous studies, we assumed that ACEI could possibly improve the clinical symptoms and outcomes of symptomatic AS. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/G9KPT.