A link between two types of heart problems and the most commonly used antibiotics

In a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), in collaboration with the Treatment Assessment Department of the Provincial Health Service (PHSA), found that users of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprotones or cycloproxacin, were now 2.4 times more likely to develop aortic and secondary valve reflow (blood flow back to the heart) than patients taking amoxicine, a different type of antibiotic. The greatest risk occurs within 30 days of use.
Recent studies have also linked similar antibiotics to other heart problems. Some doctors prefer fluoroquinone to other antibiotics because they have a wide range of antibacterial activity and high oral absorption, which is as effective as intravenous or intravenous treatment.
"You can send a patient home one pill a day," said Maya Etminan, lead author and associate professor of ophthalmology and visual science at UBC School of Medicine. These antibiotics are convenient, but they are not really needed in most cases, especially community-related infections. Inappropriate prescriptions can lead to antibiotic resistance and severe heart problems. The
hope their study will help inform the public and doctors that fluoroquinolone antibiotics may be a cause if patients have heart problems and no other cause is found.
“ One of the main goals of the treatment assessment team is to evaluate different drugs and health technologies to determine whether they can improve the quality of care our program provides or improve patient prognostication," said Dr. Bruce Carlton, director of the PHSA British Columbia Children's Hospital program and research investigator. As a result of this work, we will continue to work with the British Columbia Antimicrobial Management Board to ensure that patients in British Columbia have access to appropriate prescriptions for these antibiotics and to reduce inappropriate prescriptions. For
, scientists analyzed data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Reporting System. They also analyzed the vast U.S. private insurance health claims database, which records demographic data, drug identification, prescription doses and duration of treatment. In a random sample of more than 9 million patients, the researchers identified 12,505 valve reflow cases and 125,020 case-controlled subjects. They defined current exposure to fluoroquinolone as 30 days before a valid prescription or adverse event, the most recent exposure as 31-60 days, and past exposure as 61-365 days before the event. The scientists compared fluoroquinolone drugs with amoxicillin and azithromycin.
The results showed that the current use of aortic valves and two-tip valve reflow (blood flow back to the heart) was the highest risk, followed by the most recent use. They believe that past use did not increase the risk of aorta and secondary flap reflow.
Etminan hopes that if other studies confirm these findings, regulators will add the risk of aortic valve and second-tip valve reflow to their warnings as potential side effects, and that these results will prompt doctors to use other types of antibiotics as the first line of defense against simple infections.The study was funded and conducted by the Treatment Assessment Unit of the Ophthalmology and Provincial Health Departments. （cyy123.com）