Commonly prescribed antibiotic 'could increase risk of cardiac death'

Clarithromycin belongs to a class of drugs known as macrolide antibiotics. It is used to treat an array of bacterial infections, including pneumonia, bronchitis and ear, sinus, skin and throat infections.

According to the research, macrolide antibiotics increase the duration of the heart muscle's electrical activity - known as the QT interval - which can lead to abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), a known risk factor for stroke and sudden cardiac arrest.