Clarithromycin is a popularly prescribed antibiotic used to treat everything from pneumonia to sinus infections. According to Honor Whiteman of MNT, however, researchers say it may be deadly. She reports on this finding in her article, Commonly prescribed antibiotic ‘could increase risk of cardiac death.’ As reported by Whiteman, this drug is part of a class of antibiotics called macrolides which researchers in Copenhagen, Denmark state can be responsible for abnormal heart rhythms and stroke. Over a period of four years, lead researcher, Anders Hviid, studied more than 5 million Danish adult who were taking antibiotics. They found that patients taking clarithromycin had a greater risk of cardiac death. However, these researchers do note that the increase in risk is small and do not recommend that doctors stop prescribing this medication to their patients at this time. They suggest that more studies and research be performed to test its suitability for certain patients, particularly those with known heart problems.

Everyone knows that exercise is vital to cardiovascular fitness. However, a recent study done by Paul Williams, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggests that excessive exercise done after a heart attack can actually greatly increase one’s risk of another attack. The results were published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings on August 12 of this year. Information about this study and its finding were reported by Kathleen Doheny of HealthDay in her article, “Too much exercise can be harmful after a heart attack.” Doheny reports that the long-term study, which tracked 2,400 heart-attack survivors over a period of 10 years, showed that increasing exercise—while keeping it within moderation—greatly reduced the risk of heart-related fatalities. However, more excessive exercise, such as running more than 30 miles a week or walking more than 46 miles a week, actually doubled the risk of a repeat heart attack. You can learn more about this study and a similar study conducted in Spain by reading the article.

One of the most commonly prescribed medications for heart patients is Digoxin, which is derived from digitalis. This drug has a long history of successfully helping people who suffer from heart disease and for many, the benefits are immense. However, a recent study conducted by Dr. Mintu Turakhia at Stanford University School of Medicine, suggests that for some, this drug can be deadly. Information about this study and its findings were reported by Steven Reinberg of HealthDay in an article entitled, “Heart Medication Digoxin Linked to Higher Risk of Death for Some.” The patients at risk are those who suffer from atrial fibrillation. These patients had a far higher risk of death while taking Digoxin than those who took an alternative medication such as beta-blockers. This study, the finding of which were published on August 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that those with atrial fibrillation should not be prescribed Digoxin but should instead be treated with a different and safer medication. Learn more by reading Reinberg’s article.