An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in an artery that can grow and burst, resulting in dangerous or fatal bleeding.
“Although the risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection is low, we’ve observed that patients are twice as likely to experience an aortic aneurysm or dissection when prescribed a fluoroquinolone drug,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD said in a statement obtained by CNN. “For patients who have an aortic aneurysm or are known to be at risk of an aortic aneurysm, we do not believe the benefits outweigh this risk, and alternative treatment should be considered.”
Patients with the highest risk of an aortic aneurysm after taking these drugs are the elderly, those with high blood pressure and those with a history of blockages of the aorta or other blood vessels.
The FDA is requiring a warning about these risks be put on prescribing information and patient medication guides.
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