Health
Common medications may cause long-term changes to gut microbiome, study finds
Researchers analyzing Estonian Biobank data found that drugs including antidepressants, beta-blockers, and acid reducers alter gut bacteria years after use.
The short version
- A study of more than 2,500 participants found that several common non-antibiotic medications can alter the human gut microbiome for years after use ends.
- Lasting shifts in gut bacteria were associated with antidepressants, beta-blockers, acid-reducing proton pump inhibitors, and benzodiazepines.
- Benzodiazepines exhibited effects on gut bacteria comparable to broad-spectrum antibiotics, while individual drugs within the same class affected gut microbes differently.
- Study authors recommend that medical researchers account for a patient's historical prescription record when evaluating microbiome data.
Key facts
- Researchers at the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics analyzed stool samples and prescription records from more than 2,500 participants in the Estonian Biobank.[ScienceDaily]
- Distinct microbial changes were detected years after participants stopped taking antibiotics, antidepressants, beta-blockers, proton pump inhibitors, and benzodiazepines.[ScienceDaily]
- Benzodiazepines were associated with microbiome alterations comparable in strength to those caused by broad-spectrum antibiotics.[ScienceDaily]
- Medications within the same functional drug class, such as diazepam and alprazolam, showed differing degrees of disruption to gut microbes.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- The study's longitudinal follow-up analysis confirming microbiome shifts when starting or stopping medications relied on a relatively small subgroup of participants.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
- Common medications may change your gut for yearsScienceDaily - Health