Antibiotic linked to higher death rates heart disease

A common antibiotic used to treat infections could be deadly for heart disease patients years after taking the drug, the FDA has warned.

Clarithromycin, sold under the brand name Biaxin, is used to treat many skin, ear, sinus and lung infections.

But a 10-year study revealed that people suffering from heart disease that took a two-week course of it had a significantly higher risk of heart attack or sudden death a year or more after they were treated for infection.

The agency first cautioned against clarithromycin back in 2005, but its long-term study confirms that the antibiotic could do far more harm than good for patients with heart problems.

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