Middle-aged and elderly women who take antibiotics for extended periods face increased risk of suffering cardiovascular events, researchers warned today.
Two months of antibiotic use was linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease of about 30%, according to the analysis of the health of thousands of nurses in the USA.
Researchers have published the findings of the observational study in the European Heart Journal.
Researcher Professor Lu Qi, director of the Tulane University Obesity Research Centre, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA, says that one possible explanation is that antibiotics alter the micro-environment in the gut.
Another is that extended antibiotic use masks other conditions indicating susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
The analysis involved more than 36,000 women and researchers studied their health over an eight year period. The data for the use of antibiotics was based on the women’s recollection of prescriptions earlier in life.
Professor Qi said: “This is an observational study and so it cannot show that antibiotics cause heart disease and stroke, only that there is a link between them. It’s possible that women who reported more antibiotic use might be sicker in other ways that we were unable to measure, or there may be other factors that could affect the results that we have not been able take account of.
“Our study suggests that antibiotics should be used only when they are absolutely needed. Considering the potentially cumulative adverse effects, the shorter time of antibiotic use the better.”
Yoriko Heianza et al. Duration and life-stage of antibiotic use and risk of cardiovascular events in women. European Heart Journal 25 April 2019; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz231
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz231
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