COVID-19 & Angioedema: Insights from Italy

In this episode, Thomas welcomes Dr. Riccardo Senter, allergist at the University Hospital of Padova and member of the ITACA Network, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on patients with bradykinin-mediated angioedema — including both hereditary and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency forms. They discuss:🔹 How did COVID-19 affect angioedema severity, hospitalization rates, and recovery? 🔹 What does new data from the pan-Italian ITACA registry reveal about patient outcomes? 🔹 How do hereditary and acquired angioedema differ in their response to coronavirus infection? 🔹 What role do patient registries and research networks play in supporting rare disease care? Dr. Senter presents survey data from 15 Italian centers, detailing age, sex, disease severity, and COVID-19 outcomes for 52 angioedema patients treated in early 2021. He explains the differences between hereditary and acquired forms, why registries like ITACA are crucial for building robust knowledge, and how collaboration supports better care for rare disease patients. Join us for an insightful discussion on the realities of COVID-19 in angioedema patients — and how international research efforts can drive advancements in diagnosis, management, and patient support. Key Learnings from the Episode:COVID-19 did not lead to increased mortality in angioedema patients; no deaths occurred in the surveyed group. 8% of hereditary angioedema patients had severe COVID-19 requiring hospitalization, but all recovered. Acquired angioedema patients, despite older age, did not experience severe COVID-19 or complications. The ITACA network enabled collecting robust data across many centers, highlighting the role of registries in rare disease research. The distinction between hereditary (genetic deficiency) and acquired (secondary to other diseases like lymphoma) C1 inhibitor deficiency is crucial for clinicians and patients. Collaborative networks and standardized registries improve care and understanding of rare angioedema forms during pandemics. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Angioedema and COVID-19 03:35 Understanding HAE and Acquired Angioedema Do you have suggestions for future episodes? Please provide feedback and offer your suggestions for future topics and expert selection here.Feedback form ATA: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.office.com/e/ZWxx3D4Cmr⁠⁠