Being a woman and taking antibiotics for a long time don’t mix. This would indeed increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to an American study.
The use of antibiotics is not without consequences. The most important is the resistance of bacteria, which is growing more and more and ultimately makes these treatments ineffective.
But a new one study, presented at the Epidemiology and Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2018 of the American Heart Association, shows that women who take antibiotics for a long time are more likely to die from heart problems .
The disturbed gut microbiota
Previous studies have shown how antibiotics affect our intestinal flora, including in children. Thus, these treatments can durably transform the microorganisms that inhabit our digestive tract.
“Changes in the gut microbiota are associated with life threatening disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer”says Lu Qi, professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans.
27% higher risk of death
The study researchers followed, from 2004 to 2012, 37,510 women, aged 60 and over, who reported their antibiotic use, period and time of treatment. They classified these women according to the duration of antibiotic use: less than 15 days, 15 days to less than two months, two months to more.
The result: Women who took antibiotics for two months or more in late adulthood were 27% more likely to die. The risk of death from a cardiovascular problem was also 58% greater.
Women’s antibiotic use linked to higher risk of death from heart disease, other causes. # EPILifestyle18 https://t.co/oLbxFH9ZGc pic.twitter.com/DGFhSZlNr2
– AHA Science (@AHAScience) March 22, 2018
Results to be taken with caution
If there is an association between antibiotics and risk of death, the researchers warn. ” It is not yet clear whether long-term antibiotic use is the specific cause of the combination. », Explains Professor Lu Qi.
However, it does identify people who have consumed antibiotics for long periods of time as people at risk, to be monitored closely.
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