eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal 0974-6242 2025-06-30 18 2 1110 1121 10.13005/bpj/3156 66327 article Vandana Esht 1 Abhishek Sharma 2 Marissa Javier Bautista 1 Shazia Malik 1 Ana Maria Escolano-Castillo 3 Jermilyn Tiglao-Adriano 3 Physical Therapy Department, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Department of Physiotherapy, Arogyam Institute of Paramedical and Allied Sciences (Affiliated to H.N.B. Uttarakhand Medical Education University) Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India Nursing Department, College of Nursing and Health Sciences Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The anti-malarial and immunomodulatory drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was seen as a viable option for therapeutic repurposing in coronavirus illness (COVID-19). However, based on clinical research, the concentration-dependent effects of HCQ are inconclusive. Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Global Health databases and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from December 10, 2022, to February 15, 2024. The factors used for eligibility requirements were Population, Intervention, Comparison: pre-post/placebo/standard care, retrospective data or randomized clinical studies. Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Score and Cochrane criteria was used. Three retrospective studies (386 patients with a baseline and follow up ECG) and four randomized trials (283 patients: HCQ with standard care; azithromycin= 188; standard care/placebo= 95) used HCQ as treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, one randomized trial examined chloroquine (CQ) (81 patients: CQ high dose= 41; low dose CQ=40) to treat hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 and one case series (98 patients: HCQ= 10; azithromycin= 27; HCQ along with azithromycin = 61) studied HCQ as treatment for hospitalized confirmed/ suspected COVID-19 cases. Findings showed significant prolongation of QTc Interval in 12% to 93% of patients. The administration of HCQ combined with or without azithromycin requires continuous ECG surveillance to prevent risk of cardiotoxicity. https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol18no2/impact-of-repurposed-hydroxychloroquine-and-chloroquine-on-cardiovascular-health-during-covid-19-a-systematic-review/ Azithromycin Chloroquine Coronavirus Electrocardiogram QT prolongation