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Long-term macrolide maintenance therapy (MMT) can lower the frequency of exacerbations in patients with bronchiectasis. These drugs also might lower risk for cardiovascular ischemic events due to macrolides' anti-inflammatory properties; however, their proarrhythmic effects might be harmful. Researchers used a national database from Hong Kong to compare major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in 1100 patients with bronchiectasis who received MMT (azithromycin or erythromycin) and 2000 propensity score–matched patients who did not receive MMT.
During a 5-year follow-up, MMT users had significantly fewer major adverse CV events (i.e., a composite of CV-related death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) than did nonusers — 16 versus 24 events p…