(Press-News.org) Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a rare, but important risk posed by the antibiotic azithromycin, commonly called a "Z-pack." The study found a 2.5-fold higher risk of death from cardiovascular death in the first five days of taking azithromycin when compared with another common antibiotic or no antibiotics at all.
Wayne A. Ray, Ph.D., professor of Preventive Medicine, and C. Michael Stein, M.B.Ch.B., the Dan May Chair in Medicine and professor of Pharmacology, collaborated on the research published in the May 17 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Azithromycin, commonly called a "Z-pack" is one of the most popular treatments for bacterial sinus infections and bronchitis. Although it was previously considered to carry little to no cardiac risk, the researchers noted well-documented reports in the published literature as FDA database reports linking azithromycin with serious arrhythmias. Based on this evidence, the Vanderbilt researchers sought to examine cardiovascular deaths in patients who were taking the antibiotic.
Tennessee Medicaid (TennCare) patient records were examined from 1992 to 2006.
The researchers took many steps in this large, observational, population-based study to rule out other reasons for the increase in cardiovascular deaths in patients taking azithromycin. About 348,000 recorded prescriptions of azithromycin were compared with millions of similar records from people who were not treated with antibiotics or were treated with other antibiotics. The primary comparison was with amoxicillin, an antibiotic that is considered to be heart safe and is used in similar clinical circumstances as azithromycin.
While the absolute number of deaths was quite low, relative to amoxicillin, there were about 47 more deaths per million courses of therapy in those taking the azithromycin. That risk increased to 245 additional cardiovascular deaths per million in patients already known to have a high risk for heart problems.
The researchers emphasized that the decision to prescribe any antibiotic requires careful balancing of both potential benefits and risks. This calculation must consider the severity of the infection, the susceptibility of the organism, the availability of alternative antibiotics and adverse effects.
"We believe this study adds important information on the risk profile for azithromycin," said Ray. "For patients with elevated cardiovascular risk and infections for which there are alternative antibiotics, the cardiovascular effects of azithromycin may be an important clinical consideration."
###Other authors of this study include Kathy Murray, M.D., associate professor of Cardiology, Kathi Hall, systems analyst, and Patrick Arbogast Ph.D., associate professor of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics.
Vanderbilt researchers find common antibiotic carries heart risk
2012-05-17
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Lakeview Dentist Offers Mobile Version of Website
2012-05-17
Lakeview dentist Dr. Scott Emalfarb, along with his partner Dr. Matthew Reese, are happy to announce the launch of their practice's mobile website. The new site is designed to be easily viewed on both mobile and tablet devices.
Because mobile devices have smaller screens and slower speeds than computers, content that would easily load on a PC may not work on a mobile device or load very slowly. To remedy this, the Lakeview family dentist's mobile site is designed specifically to load quickly and fit on the screen of a mobile or tablet device.
"I am glad that ...
Delivery of gene-therapy for heart disease boosted 100-fold; now in 100-patient trial
2012-05-17
SAN DIEGO, CA – May 16, 2012 – Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) today announced a late-breaking poster presentation at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 15th Annual Meeting being held May 16-19, 2012 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
The new research findings demonstrate that cardiac ischemia plays an important role in adenovector gene transfection (delivery) in mammalian hearts. Based on this understanding, using a standard balloon angioplasty catheter, researchers have developed and tested a new method to induce transient ...
Wild Dill Organic Baby Product Store Celebrates 5 Years in Business With a Special Discount Offer
2012-05-17
In a child's life, a fifth birthday is a special occasion, full of the wonder and excitement of friends, cake and getting to be a big kid. Wild Dill has its own exciting fifth birthday, which means an extra chance for customers to save on presents and goodies.
Wild Dill of Alameda, California recently marked its fifth year in business, and to celebrate, the company will be offering a 15% percent discount on all purchases of over $5.00 from its line of natural and organic baby products. Visitors to the company's store online can take advantage of the special offer by ...
Geolocating soccer players
2012-05-17
GPS isn't just for guiding confused drivers, it can also be used by soccer managers who are a little lost when it comes to assessing their players' performance. Acceleration, average and maximum speed, distance covered, etc. "It allows us to know the displacements of the players in a valid, reliable and effective way," says David Casamichana. This researcher has in fact completed a thesis in which he demonstrates the applicability and good results of GPS in soccer, and specifically of the model available at the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the University ...
Full control of plastic transistors
2012-05-17
In an article in the highly ranked interdisciplinary journal PNAS, Loïg Kergoat, a researcher at Linköping University, describes how transistors made of plastic can be controlled with great precision.
The Organic Electronics Research Group at Linköping University (LiU) in Sweden, led by Professor Magnus Berggren, attracted great attention a year ago when Lars Herlogsson showed in his doctoral thesis that it was possible to construct fully functional field-effect transistors out of plastic.
Kergoat, a post-doc in the same research group, now shows that transistors made ...
'Mixed' family moms ensure minority culture continues in the home
2012-05-17
The mothers of Britain's 'mixed families' are ensuring their children learn about their heritage and culture, according to a collaborative development project between the University of Southampton and London South Bank University. Findings show even if a child's father hails from a minority background, it will still be the mother who is responsible for teaching them about the father's culture.
"Whether it's ensuring their children know about the history and culture of their ethnic or religious group, overseeing faith instruction, teaching them how to cook traditional ...
Bright future for solar power in space
2012-05-17
Solar power gathered in space could be set to provide the renewable energy of the future thanks to innovative research being carried out by engineers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Researchers at the University have already tested equipment in space that would provide a platform for solar panels to collect the energy and allow it to be transferred back to earth through microwaves or lasers.
This unique development would provide a reliable source of power and could allow valuable energy to be sent to remote areas in the world, providing power to disaster ...
DiscountVouchers.co.uk Announces May Deals for Pizza Express, Debenhams, Clarks and More
2012-05-17
Money-saving deals specialist DiscountVouchers.co.uk has sourced new vouchers to help UK consumers save on dining out, shoes, toys and more for May and the coming summer. The bargain deals site is home to money-off deals for over 800 stores and is this week offering new online vouchers redeemable at Pizza Express, Debenhams, Clarks and more.
Savings on goods from top stores like Debenhams, Clarks, BT and more can be a big helping hand for shoppers who want to treat the family while working to a budget this May. Logging on to the DiscountVouchers.co.uk site right now ...
Scientists uncover potential treatment for painful side effect of diabetes
2012-05-17
Why diabetics suffer from increased pain and temperature sensitivity is a step closer to being understood and effectively treated.
Research published in the journal Nature Medicine reveals that a multi-national collaboration between scientists from Warwick Medical School in the UK, and universities in Germany, New York, Australia and Eastern Europe, has discovered key information around one of the most distressing side effects of diabetes.
Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), which is abnormal and persistent pain experienced by roughly 50% of patients with diabetes, impairs ...
Understanding How Protective Orders Help Fight Domestic Violence
2012-05-17
The Oregon Family Abuse Prevention Act aims to protect families around the state from the ravages of domestic violence. One of the tools in the arsenal of legal weapons designed to fight against abuse is the protective order, sometimes known as a "no-contact order."
Like their name implies, protective orders are designed to keep one person a specific distance away from another person or location, thus protecting the one who sought the order from imminent physical harm. The protection they offer is often extended to include children and vulnerable loved ones. ...