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taking antibiotics as an adult may increase risk of developing crohn's, colitis: study

adults over the age of 40 faced the highest risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease as well as those who had taken specific antibiotics to target gut infections.

by emma jones
published jan 12, 2023
read time 2 minute read
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read time 2 minute read
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do antibiotics increase the risk of ibd, crohn's, colitis?
new research may indicate a link between taking antibiotics and developing ibd, crohn's and colitis. getty
taking antibiotics can increase the risk of developing crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — also referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (ibd) — even in adulthood, according to a new study. crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are illnesses characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestines. symptoms — including abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and rectal bleeding — can range from mild to debilitating.
a genetic component to developing inflammatory bowel disease has been identified, however, the environment also plays a significant role in developing ibd. potential environmental factors under investigation include diet, smoking, oral contraceptives, appendectomy, infections/vaccinations, antibiotics, breastfeeding and hygiene during childhood.
previous research had looked at how antibiotics prescribed in childhood can influence the risk of developing ibd later in life. now, a new study published this week in gut indicates being prescribed antibiotics in adulthood also may increase the risk of developing ibd.
researchers used denmark nationwide registries (danish civil registration system, national prescription register and national patient register) to identify residents over ten years of age from 2000 to 2018, their antibiotic prescriptions and ibd diagnoses. a total of 6,104,245 individuals were included in this analysis (50.4 per cent female).

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correlation between taking antibiotics and developing ibd

more than 90 per cent of individuals studied received at least one course of antibiotics. during this time frame, there were also 16,881 new cases of crohn’s disease and 36,017 new cases of ulcerative colitis.
in general, any exposure to antibiotics was associated with an increased risk of developing ibd. individuals aged 10 to 40 who had taken antibiotics were 1.28 times as likely to develop ibd than people of similar age who had not; those aged 40 to 60 were 1.48 times as likely, and people over the age of 60 were 1.47 times as likely. this risk also increased with every subsequent course of antibiotics a patient was prescribed.
the correlation between being prescribed antibiotics and receiving an ibd diagnosis was the strongest one to two years after an antibiotic prescription.
the type of antibiotics prescribed also had a significant impact on the risk of developing ibd. fluroquinolones, antibiotics used to target gastrointestinal infections, had the highest risk. individuals aged 10 to 40, who had been prescribed fluroquinolones were 1.76 times as likely to be diagnosed with ibd than those who had not used antibiotics; those aged 40 to 60 were 1.79 times as likely and people over the age of 60 were 1.54 times as likely.
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nitroimidazoles, another form of antibiotics used to treat gastrointestinal issues, also had a higher risk than other antibiotics.
further research will be needed to continue to understand the connection between antibiotic use and developing ibd, and how to prevent at-risk groups from developing these conditions.
readers interested in learning more can check out our medically-reviewed articles on crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
 
emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.
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