Protective effect of doxycycline use on coronary artery disease?
OBJECTIVE
The potential role of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has received increasing attention. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that use of doxycycline in doses prescribed in routine clinical practice for brucellosis, decreases the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
A general practice (GP) database in Western Greece was used. One hundred and twenty-nine newly diagnosed patients with coronary artery disease from 2001 to 2003 were contrasted to 196 controls randomly selected from the same practice. General practice records were reviewed to confirm a diagnosis of incident CAD event and obtain information on other cardiovascular risk factors. CAD events were defined as: Stable/unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction or ischemic death.


RESULTS
The results indicate a significant association between doxycycline use and occurrence of CAD (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.17-0.78).


CONCLUSIONS
These results persisted when adjustment for potential confounding factors was made. The findings should be interpreted cautiously because of lack of information about C. pneumoniae infection. However, the results suggest directions for future epidemiologic studies in this relatively uncharted field.
Kardara
Marina
M
Health Centre of Erymanthia, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Rio Patras, Greece.
Papazafiropoulou
Athanasia
A
Katsakiori
Paraskevi
P
Petropoulos
Chrysanthos
C
Jelastopulu
Eleni
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline