Antibiotic Improves Heart Function

Feb. 25, 2002 -- Evidence continues to mount that inflammation plays a significant role in heart disease. And now researchers have found that fighting infection -- one cause of inflammation -- with an antibiotic may benefit the pump of people with heart disease.

In recent years, researchers have seen that inflammation appears to be associated with clogged heart arteries. And they've also discovered that infections may be one big cause of this inflammation. So, it seemed to make sense that antibiotics might be good for the heart. And some studies have shown just that. But others have questioned the association.

In this new study, published in the most recent issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers from the U.K. wanted to see if an antibiotic could actually improve the way the heart and blood vessels function in people with heart disease.

Senior researcher Juan Carlos Kaski, MD, and colleagues looked at 40 men with heart disease. The men also had evidence of past infection with a bacterium called Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common cause of pneumonia.

Each man received either the antibiotic Zithromax or a placebo for five weeks. Using a high-tech ultrasound procedure, the researchers then measured flexibility of blood vessels in the arm, an indication of how well arteries in the heart are working. A stiff artery indicates a diseased, inflexible artery that is not functioning properly.

The men who were given Zithromax had significant improvement in their blood vessel function. But those who received a placebo had no change.

There are still many questions about the association between infection, heart disease, and antibiotics. The study was not designed to see if antibiotics can actually reverse heart disease, so the researchers aren't able to comment on that.

Also, researchers are unsure if the antibiotic worked because it actually treated the infection or if it just served as an anti-inflammatory.

The next step is to do a study that will identify exactly how antibiotics may benefit the heart. This might include finding even more antibiotics that work, developing a vaccine, or just finding the right anti-inflammatory, Kaski says in a news release.

At this point, it's still too soon to recommend antibiotics as a treatment for heart disease. But with further research, the list of useful drugs may one day grow to include antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.