Antibiotics may prevent heart attacks

Infections, particularly Chlamydia pneumoniae, have been suggested as causes or contributing factors in atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Now indirect evidence shows that antibiotics, taken to treat common infections, may protect against first time myocardial infarction (JAMA 1999:281;427-31).

Patients who had taken tetracyclines were at significantly lower risk of having a heart attack than those who had not, according to retrospective analysis of data from 350general practices in the United Kingdom's General Practice Research Database, which …