Clarithromycin Use and Risk of Death in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

Objectives: To examine whether treatment with clarithromycin was associated with an increased risk of death in patients with preexisting ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: Employing nationwide registers, all patients with IHD events from 1997 to 2007 who subsequently claimed prescriptions for dual antibiotic treatment for eradication treatment were identified. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Results: The study included 214,330 individuals with IHD; 5,265 (2.5 %) of these claimed prescriptions for dual antibiotics. Compared with IHD patients not undergoing eradication therapy, no increase in the risk of all-cause mortality was demonstrated (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.84-1.23, p = 0.87) after 5 years. Conclusions: The use of clarithromycin in the setting of eradication treatment for Helicobacter pylori in patients with IHD was not associated with an increased risk of death. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel