ArticleCirculation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology2017
Azithromycin Causes a Novel Proarrhythmic Syndrome.
Article in Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of Cardiovascular Diseases on COVID-19: A Systematic Review.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2021Pooled it
- Efficacy of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2021Pooled it
- Frequency of Long QT in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Treated with Hydroxychloroquine: A Meta-analysis.International journal of antimicrobial agents · 2020Pooled it
- Update I. A systematic review on the efficacy and safety of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19.Journal of critical care · 2020Pooled it
- Considerations for drug interactions on QTc interval in exploratory COVID-19 treatment.Heart rhythm · 2020Guideline
- Considerations for Drug Interactions on QTc Interval in Exploratory COVID-19 Treatment.Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2020Guideline
- Type 1 Brugada ECG Pattern Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Patient With Multiple Potential Acquired Contributors: A Case Report.Clinical case reports · 2026Article
- Antibiotic-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis: National Database Analysis.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Drug Proarrhythmic Evaluation in a High Throughput Cardiac New Approach Methodology.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Cardiovascular adverse effects of antiviral therapies for COVID-19: Evidence and plausible mechanisms.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2025Review
- Development of a dry powder formulation for pulmonary delivery of azithromycin-loaded nanoparticles.Journal of pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences : a publication of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Societe canadienne des sciences pharmaceutiques · 2024Article
- HPC Framework for Performing in Silico Trials Using a 3D Virtual Human Cardiac Population as Means to Assess Drug-Induced Arrhythmic Risk.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2024Article
- Microfluidic Organ-Chips and Stem Cell Models in the Fight Against COVID-19.Circulation research · 2023Review
- Long COVID-19 and the Heart: Is Cardiac Mitochondria the Missing Link?Antioxidants & redox signaling · 2023Review
- Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin alter the contractility of living porcine heart slices.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Administration of macrolide antibiotics increases cardiovascular risk.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Article
- Effects of COVID-19 on Arrhythmia.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2022Review
- Prevalence, Outcomes, and Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias in COVID-19 Patients.Cardiac electrophysiology clinics · 2022Review
- Synergistic Adverse Effects of Azithromycin and Hydroxychloroquine on Human Cardiomyocytes at a Clinically Relevant Treatment Duration.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- A short focus, azithromycin in the treatment of respiratory viral infection COVID-19: efficacy or inefficacy?Immunologic research · 2022Review
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21 authors at 9 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe widely used macrolide antibiotic azithromycin increases risk of cardiovascular and sudden cardiac death, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Case reports, including the one we document here, demonstrate that azithromycin can cause rapid, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in the absence of QT prolongation, indicating a novel proarrhythmic syndrome. We investigated the electrophysiological effects of azithromycin in vivo and in vitro using mice, cardiomyocytes, and human ion channels heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. METHODS AND
resultsIn conscious telemetered mice, acute intraperitoneal and oral administration of azithromycin caused effects consistent with multi-ion channel block, with significant sinus slowing and increased PR, QRS, QT, and QTc intervals, as seen with azithromycin overdose. Similarly, in HL-1 cardiomyocytes, the drug slowed sinus automaticity, reduced phase 0 upstroke slope, and prolonged action potential duration. Acute exposure to azithromycin reduced peak SCN5A currents in HEK cells (IC
conclusionsChronic exposure to azithromycin increases cardiac Na
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.