The researchers conducted a study using antibiotics in patients with acute coronary syndromes, such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and unstable angina, to see if the antibiotics were able to reduce the likelihood of these events.
How was the study conducted?
Patients in this study received one of three treatment regimens for one week:
How were the patients followed?
The patients were tested for:
They were measured at study entry and at 1, 3, and 12 months during follow-up visits.
What were the results?
C-reactive protein levels and fibrinogen were both reduced in patients receiving antibiotics. There was no perceived difference in the survival rate of the two groups that received antibiotics, but there was over a 35 percent reduction in deaths between the antibiotic and placebo groups at the three-month follow-up. The reduction persisted during the 1-year follow-up.
Circulation 2002 Sep 3;106(10):1219-23
There's no new information here, as I have reported on this connection for the last five years.
Clearly, bacterial infections are a major cause of disease. For the last 13 years I have used antibiotics to successfully treat over 2500 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
So what are your first steps toward a healthy heart?
The unfortunate and complicating issue in most cases is that once the "horse is out of the barn" and you have a serious bacterial infection, it frequently is necessary to use antibiotics to recover from the illness.
Related Articles:
Bacteria's Role in Heart Disease Discovered Chlamydia Predicts Heart Attacks Antibiotic Tested as Heart Disease Treatment Bacteria and Viral Exposure Linked to Heart Disease Antibiotics Tied to Reduced Heart Attack Risk Antibiotics May Improve Heart Disease
Bacteria's Role in Heart Disease Discovered
Chlamydia Predicts Heart Attacks
Antibiotic Tested as Heart Disease Treatment
Bacteria and Viral Exposure Linked to Heart Disease
Antibiotics Tied to Reduced Heart Attack Risk
Antibiotics May Improve Heart Disease