Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection Risk from Fluoroquinolone Drugs (Cipro, Levaquin, etc.)

Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection and Fluoroquinolone Drugs 

Raising Awareness - Why?

There have been some additional questions about recent medical papers and the FDA warning about this group of drugs, which the public recognizes by names such as Cipro and Levaquin. Some may have wondered why the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation is raising awareness about this. They may wonder if it has something to do with their heart. It is not the heart, it is the aorta that is getting attention, along with tendons, muscles, and other areas of the body.

To be clear, these warnings are for the general public, for everyone. 

It is helpful to tell everyone about this.

The reason the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation is putting so much emphasis on this is because we advocate for a special group within the public at large, those who already are prone to developing aneurysms of the aorta in their chest.

Quite simply, there are important questions that we must ask:

Ascending
Aortic
Aneurysm

• If it puts the general population at risk of aneurysm and dissection, what about those who already have enlarged aortas or full blown aneurysms?

• Would this group of drugs make already enlarged, bulging aortas even worse, more dangerous, more quickly? 

Medical Papers in 2015  and the aorta.

In November 2015, two papers were published in medical journals by doctors in Taiwan and Toronto, Canada. Then in May 2016, the FDA issued a new warning.

Here is the abstract of the paper from Taiwan:

Risk of Aortic Dissection and Aortic Aneurysm in Patients Taking Oral Fluoroquinolone

Here is the paper from Toronto:
Fluoroquinolones and collagen associated severe adverse events: a longitudinal cohort study

This paper gives details about what happens to the collagen in the aortic wall:

" In the aortic wall, type I and type III are also the dominant forms of collagen,12 thereby suggesting that a medication contributing to tendon ruptures could also lead to aortic aneurysms. Indeed, pathological sections of aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections demonstrate abnormalities of collagen content, concentrations and ratios.13 Although aortic aneurysms typically develop slowly, our data suggest that fluoroquinolone prescriptions can contribute acutely to aneurysm progression and rupture."

Aneurysms Grow and Rupture More Quickly

Please note that the last sentence, which says that these drugs cause the aneurysm to grow quickly "acute .... progression" and then rupture.  So the general thought that aneurysms do not need to be checked that often, because they grow very slowly, may be dangerous for someone who has taken these drugs.

FDA Warning May 2016

Once again, here is the FDA warning from May, 2016: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm500143.htm

 

Here are the first two paragraphs:

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising that the serious side effects associated with fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs generally outweigh the benefits for patients with acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections who have other treatment options. For patients with these conditions, fluoroquinolones should be reserved for those who do not have alternative treatment options.

An FDA safety review has shown that fluoroquinolones when used systemically (i.e. tablets, capsules, and injectable) are associated with disabling and potentially permanent serious side effects that can occur together. These side effects can involve the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system."

While mentioning tendons, which are high in collagen, this statement does not mention the aorta. The papers from Taiwan and Toronto do.

Talking with Doctors

Taken together, these three references help me when talking to doctors about my own family. They help me remember that I should tell them if I or a loved one has ever taken one of these drugs. It also helps me ask for the safest possible drug, if I or my loved one should need an antibiotic. I hope this information helps us all. 

Staying informed together,

Asking our questions,

We are all 

Creating a Climate of Hope.

~ Arlys Velebir

                          Bicuspid Aortic Foundation