A lawsuit investigation has been launched, after numerous injury reports indicate a link between fluoroquinolone antibiotics and aortic injury events. A new study further supports this alleged correlation, with research finding an increased risk of aortic injury in patients prescribed fluoroquinolones like Levaquin.

In the study, published in 2018 in the BMJ medical journal, Swedish scientists identified aortic injury events like aortic aneurysm and dissection that occurred in the country between July 2006 to December 2013.

This study consisted of 360,000 subjects who were prescribed fluoroquinolones. They were compared to a patient population of the same size that was prescribed amoxicillin.

Researchers found that patients who were prescribed fluoroquinolones Cipro, Avelox, or Levaquin faced an increased risk of aortic injury by 66 percent, with 1.2 cases of aortic aneurysm or dissection per every 1,000 patients. These results were found after years of observation, with the amoxicillin group having an aortic injury rate of 0.7.

Researchers noted that when they looked at the risk of aortic aneurysm specifically in fluoroquinolone users, the likelihood of aortic injury almost doubled.

This was not the only inquiry to explore the potential risk of aortic injury in conjunction with fluoroquinolones, with two studies published in 2015. These studies had also found that fluoroquinolone antibiotics could potentially cause aortic injury, by damaging aortic tissue that could result in aneurysms or dissections.

It should be noted that fluoroquinolones, like Levaquin, have been previously associated with tendon damage, and scientists theorize these medications could inflict the same damage to collagen that can cause aortic tissue destruction.

These studies were published in JAMA Internal Medicine and BMJ Open in November 2015, and found that fluoroquinolone patients faced a 124 percent and 143 percent increased risk of suffering aortic dissection or aneurysm respectively.

Researchers also observed that patients who had previously taken fluoroquinolones could also face an increased likelihood of aortic injury, with the results indicating a 48 percent increased risk.

Overview of Fluoroquinolone Aortic Injury Risk

Fluoroquinolones are broad spectrum antibiotics that can be prescribed to treat a number of bacterial infections, being a popular choice for patients suffering from urinary tract infections, pneumonia, staph, and other serious bacterial cases.

Overall the increased risk of aortic injury in conjunction with fluoroquinolone prescriptions is troubling the medical community, which is becoming increasingly wary of these popular medications. Fluoroquinolones are prescribed to over 20 million patients a year to treat bacterial infections, making the number of potential aortic injury events high.

In May 2016 the FDA advised that physicians should limit or restrict the number of fluoroquinolones prescribed for minor bacterial infections, and prescribe alternative medications. The FDA reportedly issued this warning, after concluding that fluoroquinolones could potentially cause permanent complications to patients’ tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system.

It is important to note that these medications are not effective against viral diseases, and are not recommended for patients with such conditions.