Antibiotic use in midlife increases a person’s risk for neuropsychiatric diseases.
Antibiotics are prescribed for a wide range of infectious diseases. In 2015, healthcare providers in the United States wrote nearly 270 million antibiotic prescriptions – more than 800 antibiotic prescriptions for every 1,000 people. Health experts estimate that 30 percent of these prescriptions were likely unnecessary. Findings from a new study suggest that antibiotic use in midlife increases a person’s risk for neuropsychiatric diseases.
The study included approximately 15,000 midlife participants (average age, 55 years) enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II, an ongoing prospective cohort study of female nurses. The participants completed questionnaires regarding their general health, diet, lifestyle, and medication use during the previous four years, including antibiotic use and the reason for which the antibiotic was prescribed. The investigators categorized the participants' cumulative antibiotic use as none, one to 14 days, 15 days to two months, and two months or more. Participants also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests.
The investigators found that participants who took antibiotics for at least two months over the previous four years were more likely to perform worse on neuropsychological tests than participants who did not take antibiotics. The influence of antibiotic use on neuropsychological test scores was roughly equivalent to three to four years of aging. These findings held true even after considering other factors that could influence cognitive function, including age and coexisting illnesses.
These findings suggest that longer exposure to antibiotics in midlife negatively influences cognitive health, underscoring the importance of moderating antibiotic use in older adults. They also support findings from animal studies that suggest antibiotic use early in life alters neuropeptide signaling pathways that influence behavioral development. Learn more about the effects of antibiotic use in early life in this clip featuring Dr. Eran Elinav.
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