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Abstract for Reference
40
of 'Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae infection as a potential etiologic factor in atherosclerosis'
40
TI
Randomized secondary prevention trial of azithromycin in patients with coronary artery disease: primary clinical results of the ACADEMIC study.
AU
Muhlestein JB; Anderson JL; Carlquist JF; Salunkhe K; Horne BD; Pearson RR; Bunch TJ; Allen A; Trehan S; Nielson C
SO
Circulation 2000 Oct 10;102(15):1755-60.
BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), although its causal role is uncertain. A small preliminary study reported a>50% reduction in ischemic events by azithromycin, an antibiotic effective against C pneumoniae, in seropositive CAD patients. We tested this prospectively in a larger, randomized, double-blind study. METHODS AND RESULTS: CAD patients (n=302) seropositive to C pneumoniae (IgG titers>/=1:16) were randomized to placebo or azithromycin 500 mg/d for 3 days and then 500 mg/wk for 3 months. The primary clinical end point included cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, unstable angina, and unplanned coronary revascularization at 2 years. Treatment groups were balanced, and azithromycin was generally well tolerated. During the trial, 47 first primary events occurred (cardiovascular death, 9; resuscitated cardiac arrest, 1; MI, 11; stroke, 3; unstable angina, 4; and unplanned coronary revascularization, 19), with 22 events in the azithromycin group and 25 in the placebo group. There was no significant difference in the 1 primary end point between the 2 groups (hazard ratio for azithromycin, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.61; P:=0.74). Events included 9 versus 7 occurring within 6 months and 13 versus 18 between 6 and 24 months in the azithromycin and placebo groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that antibiotic therapy with azithromycin is not associated with marked early reductions(>/=50%) in ischemic events as suggested by an initial published report. However, a clinically worthwhile benefit (ie, 20% to 30%) is still possible, although it may be delayed. Larger (several thousand patient), longer-term (>/=3 to 5 years) antibiotic studies are therefore indicated.
AD
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Utah, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah 84143, USA. ldbmuhle@ihc.com
