J Gastroenterol Hepatol
Antibiotic exposure tied to increased IBD risk
Study design: In this meta-analysis, researchers reviewed 18 case-control studies and 5 cohort studies, encompassing over 99,000 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and more than 2.2 million controls to evaluate the impact of antibiotic exposure on IBD risk. Factors such as duration and frequency of antibiotic use, and regional differences were considered.
Results: Antibiotic exposure was significantly positively associated with IBD risk, with an overall odds ratio (OR) of 1.66 (95% CI, 1.28–2.16). The risk increased with longer antibiotic exposure: ≥3 years (OR, 1.49), 2 years (OR, 1.46), and 1 year (OR, 1.55) before IBD diagnosis. Cumulative exposure of ≥3 antibiotic courses also heightened the risk (OR, 2.02). Developed countries showed a stronger association (OR, 1.58) compared with developing countries.
Impact on clinical practice: The results underscore the importance of judicious antibiotic use to mitigate the risk of IBD.
Source:
Pan R, et al. (2024, October 16). J Gastroenterol Hepatol. The role of antibiotic exposure as risk factor for IBD epidemic: an updated meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39415308/