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For 2 decades, researchers have postulated a link between chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis. However, clinical trials to determine the effects of anti-chlamydial therapy on incidence of atherosclerotic events have produced contradictory results. Investigators recently conducted a multinational, double-blind study to determine whether such therapy might improve peripheral artery disease (PAD), a common manifestation of atherosclerosis. Symptoms of PAD are associated with an increase in intima-media thickness, rather than an acute rupture of plaque, and benefit can be measured using a standardized treadmill test.
In this manufacturer-funded trial, 297 patients with stable, symptomatic PAD were randomized to receiv…