A new study has just revealed that taking antibiotics could cause a greater risk in women of suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Antibiotics are not automatic… And that would be dangerous for women’s health. Indeed, a new study has just shown that women aged fifty and over and consuming antibiotics for a long time had a increased risk of developing the diseaseAlzheimer. The latter would also have less good results on cognitive tests.
Antibiotics that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s in women
First of all, we remind you that antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria. The latter thus come to destroy (bactericidal antibiotic) or block the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic antibiotic).
In detail, this new study conducted by researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Rush (Chicago – United States), the results of which were published in the journal PLOS, came to show that women consuming antibiotics for a period of at least two consecutive months systematically had a lower score on cognitive tests. These concerned in particular the functioning of the brain, memory or concentration.
The researchers also point out that this drug consumption aged the brain an additional three to four years. To reach these conclusions, the researchers looked at data from more than 14,000 women. During the work, the women notably had to indicate their consumption of antibiotics and carry out various tests.
Dr. Robert Yolken, researcher in Baltimore, explained in particular that ” more research is needed, but ours suggests that if we can prevent infections and minimize antibiotic treatment in people with mental illness, we may be able to prevent the onset of manic episodes ».
Indeed, the work did not allow the researchers to identify precisely the link between antibiotic and their results. However, they speculate that this cause and effect link is related to how the gut microbiome and the bacteria it contains are affected by drug substances.