antibiotic use may reduce strokes from infections--copied by n

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copied by n Rojas

By J. Brown, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 07 - Use of antibiotics, especially penicillin,

is associated with a decreased risk of stroke, according to a report

published in the August 8th rapid access issue of Stroke: Journal of the

American

Heart Association.

The new findings are consistent with an increasing number of reports that

have tied infections with atherosclerosis and thrombosis. To study the link

between antibiotics and stroke, Dr. Brassard, from Royal Hospital

in

Montreal, and colleagues analyzed data from 1888 stroke patients and 9440

matched controls that were drawn from an elderly population being treated for

hypertension.

Current antibiotic use or use within the last year was associated with a drop

in stroke risk of about 20%. On multivariate analysis, several antibiotic

classes were tied to a decreased stroke risk, but the only one that showed a

significant relationship was the penicillins.

Current penicillin users were 47% less likely to experience a stroke than

non-users, the researchers note. Past penicillin use was also beneficial, but

the

risk reduction was not as high as with current use.

" For all time windows, penicillin use was consistently associated with a

reduced stroke risk, " Dr. Brassard told Reuters Health. " The only explanation I

can offer is that because penicillins are so broad spectrum they may destroy "

not just C. pneumonia, but other bacteria that can contribute to

atherosclerosis, he added.

" There may be some benefit to macrolides or fluoroquinolones, but because of

small patient numbers, the associations were not statistically significant, "

Dr. Brassard pointed out.

" Two or three randomized trials are currently underway to see if antibiotic

therapy can prevent cardiovascular events in MI patients, " he added. " If these

go well, I think we'll see some trials investigating antibiotics for the

primary prevention " of such events.

Stroke 2003;34.