Avelox is among the list of fluoroquinolone antibiotics that have been linked to potentially life-threatening issues with the aorta.

The aorta is the main artery which descends out of the heart and follows the backbone down into the abdomen where it splits into two lower extremity arteries. The aorta delivers oxygenated blood to major organ systems of the body.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, like Avelox, were first noted to have some side effects with respect to the body’s connective tissue as far back as 2008. According to WebMD, tendinitis and tendon rupture were linked to this class of drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA required, at that time, that the medication have one of their strongest warnings posted on the packaging — a black box warning. This type of drug alert is called a black box warning because it is set off on the label by a dark black boundary and bold type.

At that time, it was discovered that use of Avelox and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics nearly triple the risk of spontaneous tendon rupture, This serious medical event only usually occurred at the low rate of one out of every 100,000 people.

The tendon most often compromised was the Achilles, but reports extended to include tendons in the shoulder and elsewhere. The latest warning concerns aortic dissection in which a similar issue with connective tissue in the aorta can compromise the circulatory system.

What is an Aortic Dissection?

An aortic dissection is a tear in the main artery which can cause rapid internal bleeding leading to death within minutes. It is usually, but not always preceded by a ballooning of the aorta in an area which causes the wall of the artery to become weakened. This ballooning is called an aortic aneurysm and is also life-threatening in and of itself.

Because of the earlier problems discovered regarding collagen-based connective tissue, two studies were undertaken to identify the breadth of this risk factor in terms of other similar tissues.

These two studies concluded in 2015 and provided astounding data, garnering the attention of the FDA. The statistics generated indicated that while taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics, risks of aortic problems soared to between 124 and 143 percent. More than 60 days after ingestion, fluoroquinolone antibiotics still increased aortic risk factors 48 percent.

According to the Greenville News, fluoroquinolone antibiotics include Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin, and Factive. Also included in this class are Noroxin and Floxin. The Greenville News asserts that the FDA warning means that these medications should no longer be prescribed for common infections such as urinary tract infections, chronic bronchitis, and sinusitis.

The article also says that the FDA believes that for some patients, this class of drugs may have risk factors that far outweigh the benefits except in severe cases where a patient is allergic to other antibiotics like penicillin.