Antibiotics could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes: Study

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Sunday 30 Aug 2015 - 14:19 Makkah mean time-15-11-1436 (Image from Mail Online) Copenhagen (IINA) - Taking too many antibiotics could raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, experts have warned recently, Mail Online health news reported. People who receive more than four courses of the drugs over 15 years are 53 percent more likely to get the disease, according to the findings of an extensive study.  The study of 1.4 million Danish patients shows a clear link between antibiotics and diabetes, the researchers said. Antibiotics are designed to kill the bacteria that causes infections. But the drugs also kill off some of the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, which are known to influence digestion and metabolism. The researchers, whose findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, tracked 1.3 million people without diabetes and 170,404 with the disease. The study found that people with type 2 diabetes filled out 0.8 prescriptions for antibiotics per year on average. In comparison, non-diabetic individuals filled out 0.5 prescriptions per year. People who received five or more antibiotic prescriptions over a period of up to 15 years was associated with a 53 percent increase in risk, compared with being given antibiotics just once, or never. Study author Dr Kristian Mikkelsen, from Gentofte Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, said: ‘In our research, we found people who have type 2 diabetes used significantly more antibiotics up to 15 years prior to diagnosis compared to healthy controls. Although we cannot infer causality from this study, the findings raise the possibility that antibiotics could raise the risk of type 2 diabetes." Another equally compelling explanation may be that people develop type 2 diabetes over the course of years and face a greater risk of infection during that time. Type 2 diabetes is one of the greatest health problems facing the UK and other countries in the Western world. British experts on Wednesday welcomed the new research, but warned that it did not prove that antibiotics cause diabetes. From her side, Professor Jodi Lindsay of St George’s University of London said, “This paper adds to the growing evidence that antibiotic usage is linked to type 2 diabetes. Professor Mark Wilcox of Leeds General Infirmary, added: ‘Whether antibiotic exposure can truly affect the risk of diabetes remains unknown. “This latest study only shows a possible link between the two, rather that proving that antibiotics could cause diabetes.” SM/IINA