The protein ACE2, which SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter human cells, may play a protective role in hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the Mayo Clinic. The study was published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

The authors analyzed more than 45,000 blood samples from participants in the UK Biobank. The team examined the concentrations of nine proteins associated with cardiovascular diseases, including ACE2, BNP, NT-proBNP, and troponin I.

Particular attention was drawn to ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2): its levels were higher in people with high blood pressure and diabetes—key risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The effect was most pronounced in women and was associated with genetic variants linked to diabetes.

Using Mendelian randomization, the researchers obtained evidence that elevated ACE2 levels may not merely accompany these conditions but actually reduce the risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.

Biologically, this can be explained by the function of ACE2: the protein breaks down angiotensin II, which constricts blood vessels, and promotes the formation of compounds that relax the vascular wall. Increased ACE2 levels in hypertension may represent a compensatory response aimed at lowering blood pressure.

ACE2 is widely known as the receptor through which the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells; however, the new data highlight its important role in regulating the cardiovascular system. According to the authors, ACE2 may become a promising biomarker and therapeutic target.