Association of Fluoroquinolone Use With Short-term Risk of Development of Aortic Aneurysm

The most recent study of heart issues and with association of Fluoroquinolone use with short-term risk of development of aortic aneurysm. At Floxie Hope we want to bring you the most relevant content and how that could affect your health.

I had no idea that an antibiotic could affect my heart, but Fluoroquinolones (FQs) do. It seemed shocking to me that this could be an issue but there are peer reviewed studies and legal cases showing that in fact FQs are the issue. After reading this blog post based on the latest study please comment below if you have had this issue or if you did not know about this problem.

The Study By Jama

A recent study posted January of 2021 posted by Jama Surgery that this cohort study of 47 596 545 antibiotic prescription fills among US adults aged 18 to 64 years found an increased rate of aortic aneurysms within 90 days after fluoroquinolone use compared with alternative antibiotic use, and when stratified by age, an increased incidence of aneurysms was observed in adults 35 years or older. No differences were seen when stratifying by sex and common comorbidities (eg, hypertension and hyperlipidemia); rather, the association of fluoroquinolone use with the aneurysm rate was consistent, suggesting a risk of drug class among both healthy and unhealthy individuals (1). The study by Jama was significant because they used other popular antibiotics in the case study over 90 days after prescription and noticed how FQs affected a certain cohort of patients that had taken an FQ. Proving that FQs do affect those who have taken the drug.

Measuring The Effects

The Jama group measured the amount of prescriptions filled over a time period in correlation to their age and health. The Jama group stated they had “prescription fills for fluoroquinolones or a comparator antibiotic from 2005 to 2017 among commercially insured individuals aged 18 to 64 years were identified in this retrospective analysis of MarketScan health insurance claims. This cohort study included 27 827 254 US adults (47 596 545 antibiotic episodes), aged 18 to 64 years, with no known previous aortic aneurysm or dissection, no recent antibiotic exposure, and no recent hospitalization”. Using available data and their own study they clearly determined that these drugs lead to heart issues. I am hopeful that the FDA will soon end all FQs but for know I thank those who are studying and publishing the effects to prove the dangers of these drugs. Check out this article by CBS news on the heart rhythm issues here.

In the Jama study they also used this important measurement after The 90-day incidence of aortic aneurysm and dissection. Interaction terms were used to assess the association of known risk factors (ie, sex, age, and comorbidities) with aneurysm after fluoroquinolone use. Data analysis was performed March 2019 to May 2020. (1)

The Proof Of The Dangers

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning for fluoroquinolones in 2018 based on international studies linking increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection after use. Fluoroquinolones remain the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in long-term care facilities in the United States. This study found that fluoroquinolones were associated with increased incidence of aortic aneurysm formation in US adults. This association was consistent across adults aged 35 years or older, sex, and comorbidities, suggesting fluoroquinolone use should be pursued with caution in all adults, not just in high-risk individuals. Below you can find the results of the study and if you have had an exposure to FQs please visit our recommendation page to get helpful guides or use our free doctor referral program to get in touch with a doctor to treat your condition.

The Results

Results Of 47 596 545 prescription fills, 9 053 961 (19%) were fluoroquinolones and 38 542 584 (81%) were comparator antibiotics. The median (interquartile range) age of adults with fluoroquinolone fills was 47 (36-57) years vs 43 (31-54) years with comparator antibiotic fills. Women comprised 61.3% of fluoroquinolone fills and 59.5% of comparator antibiotic fills. Before weighting, the 90-day incidence of newly diagnosed aneurysm was 7.5 cases per 10 000 fills (6752 of 9 053 961) after fluoroquinolones compared with 4.6 cases per 10 000 fills (17 627 of 38 542 584) after comparator antibiotics. After weighting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities, fluoroquinolone fills were associated with increased incidence of aneurysm formation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.17-1.24). More specifically, compared with comparator antibiotics, fluoroquinolone fills were associated with increased 90-day incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.25-1.37), iliac artery aneurysm (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.33-1.91), and other abdominal aneurysm (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.39-1.79), and adults were more likely to undergo aneurysm repair (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.44-2.46). When stratified by age, all adults 35 years or older appeared at increased risk (18-34 years: HR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.83-1.18]; 35-49 years: HR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.09-1.28]; 50-64 years: HR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.19-1.28]; P = .04).