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Researchers have reported that a group of commonly used antibiotics may increase the risk of heart valve problems.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined the use of antibiotics in 12,502 people with regurgitation of heart valves, leaking heart valves that, if they are not treated, can lead to heart failure. The researchers compared them to 125,020 healthy controls.
They compared the class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin and others) to two other commonly prescribed antibiotics, amoxicillin and azithromycin. Current users of fluoroquinolone had a relative risk of valvular regurgitation of 240% greater than that of amoxicillin users and 75% greater than that of people taking azithromycin.
The risk has decreased over time. People who had stopped using fluoroquinolones in the past two months had a 47% higher risk than users of amoxicillin and 37% higher than those who were taking azithromycin . After two months of stopping the drugs, there was no increased risk.
Fluoroquinolones are known to have various side effects, including tendon rupture, heart tearing (aortic rupture) and nerve damage.
"This adds to the long list of rare but serious events that occur with fluoroquinolones," said lead author, Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa. University of British Columbia. "These medications should be reserved for situations in which nothing else can be used and where the benefits outweigh the risks."
The study was funded by the Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia.
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