The antiviral remdesivir was shown to help kidney transplant recipients avoid cardiovascular or kidney problems up to a year after taking the medication, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

The senior study author said that these findings “suggest that timely antiviral treatment may have benefits beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 in this population.” Treating kidney transplant recipients for COVID-19 involves assessing a number of factors and weighing how treatments will interact with other medical concerns. This is one of the first studies to measure long-term outcomes.

The investigators identified 432 adult kidney transplant recipients, 177 of whom received remdesivir and 255 of whom did not. All of the patients were followed for up to a year. 11% of the patients across both groups experienced all-cause graft loss, or rejection of the transplant. 10% experienced a cardiovascular complication. Accounting for several variables among participants, the investigators found that early remdesivir treatment was associated with a 47% lower risk of all-cause graft loss and a 42% lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to no treatment.

The first study author theorized that “early suppression of viral replication may reduce systemic inflammation, endothelial injury, or damage to blood vessels, and thrombotic complications, or those related to severe blood clotting, that may contribute to heart and kidney problems.”