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Oral azithromycin in extended dosage schedule for chronic, subclinical Chlamydia pneumoniae infection causing coronary artery disease: a probable cure in sight? Results of a controlled preliminary trial Full Text
International Journal of General Medicine, 06/11/2012
Clinical Article
Dogra J – The patients tolerated the therapy well and there was a positive correlation between azithromycin and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods- Forty patients with documentary evidence of CAD were screened for immunoglobulin G titers against C. pneumoniae and grouped into either the study group (patients with positive titer, n = 32) or control group (patients with negative titer, n = 8).
- Cases who met inclusion criteria could not have had coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention in the preceding 6 months.
- Informed consent was obtained from every patient.
- Baseline blood samples were analyzed for red blood cell indices, serum creatinine, and liver function tests, and repeated every 2 months.
- A primary event was defined as the first occurrence of death by any cause, recurrent myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedure, or hospitalization for angina.
- Patients in the study group received 500 mg of oral azithromycin once daily for 5 days, which was then repeated after a gap of 10 days (total of 24 courses in the 1–year trial period).
- The control group did not have azithromycin added to their standard CAD treatment.
- In the study group, 30 patients completed the trial.
- Two patients had to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention in the initial first quarter of the 1–year trial period.
- In the control group, one patient died during the trial, one had to undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and one had percutaneous coronary intervention.
