Can an antibiotic help prevent second heart attacks in C. pneumoniae positive patients?
(ATLANTA) Recent research suggests that certain bacteria may be involved in the development of heart disease, but whether antibiotics should have a treatment role in patients with heart disease is unknown. A randomized trial is examining whether targeted antibiotic treatment might prevent further problems in patients with a history of heart attack who also show evidence of prior infection by one of the implicated organisms, Chlamydia pneumoniae. In the Weekly Intervention with Zithromax for Atherosclerosis and its Related Disorders (WIZARD) trial, more than 7,700 such patients were assigned to receive either azithromycin, known to have anti-Chlamydia activity, or a dummy placebo pill. If the trial shows that fewer patients who received azithromycin subsequently died or were less likely to experience repeat heart attacks or other heart disease events, it may mean that some antibiotics could play a significant role in the management of some patients with heart disease. Dr. Michael W. Dun
