Oral fluoroquinolones and risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection: A nationwide population‐based propensity score‐matched cohort study

Abstract

AbstractStudy ObjectiveTo investigate risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection in patients using oral fluoroquinolones compared to those using macrolides in real‐world clinical practice among a large US general population.DesignRetrospective cohort study design.Data SourceMarketScan commercial and Medicare supplemental databases.PatientsAdults patients with at least one prescription fill for fluoroquinolone or macrolide antibiotics.InterventionFluoroquinolone or macrolide antibiotics.Measurements and Main ResultsThe primary outcome was estimated incidence of aortic aneurysm or dissection associated with the use of fluoroquinolones compared with macrolides during a 60‐day follow‐up period in a 1:1 propensity score‐matched cohort. We identified 3,174,620 patients (1,587,310 in each group) after 1:1 propensity score matching. Crude incidence of aortic aneurysm or dissection was 1.9 cases per 1000 person‐years among fluoroquinolone users and 1.2 cases per 1000 person‐years among macrolide users. In multivariable Cox regression, compared with macrolides, the use of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection (aHR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.17–1.54). The association was primarily driven by a high incidence of aortic aneurysm cases (95.8%). Results of sensitivity (e.g., fluoroquinolone exposure ranging from 7 to 14 days (aHR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.71)) and subgroup analyses (e.g., ciprofloxacin (aHR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.07–1.49) and levofloxacin (aHR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.19–1.52)) remained consistent with main findings.ConclusionsFluoroquinolone use was associated with a 34% increased risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection compared with macrolide use among a general US population.