To illustrate the link, the researchers mapped the results of a 10-year analysis of the data showing an average lag of one month between antibiotic use and parallel surges and declines in ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli.
With two Cleveland Clinic colleagues, Topol co-wrote a 2001 analysis of data on Merck's Vioxx that first suggested a link between this class of painkillers, called cox-2 inhibitors, and heart problems.