Diabetes: beware of over-prescribing antibiotics

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Extract from the article: Prescribing antibiotics too frequently may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This association was established on the basis of an analysis of the medical records of approximately one million middle-aged adults, 20% of whom had .....

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Prescribing antibiotics too frequently may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This association was established on the basis of an analysis of the medical records of approximately one million middle-aged adults, 20% of whom had diabetes. The researchers from the University of Pennsylvania show that a single prescription does not influence the risk of diabetes. However, between two and five prescriptions, the risk increases by 8% to 15% depending on the type of antibiotic, and by 23% to 37% beyond five treatment periods. This link is not demonstrated with antivirals and antifungals. According to the European Journal of Endocrinology, people with diabetes often have a higher susceptibility to infections, particularly urinary tract infections, prior to diagnosis, which may partly explain the higher prescription of antibiotics. Nevertheless, antibiotics do represent a risk factor for diabetes. These drugs disrupt the intestinal flora, with possible cascading metabolic consequences. In any case, for this and other reasons, antibiotics should only be prescribed when strictly necessary.

William O.