Antibiotics are known to trigger some noticeable side effects in some people, such as facial swelling, difficulty breathing, and more. But a new study suggests that taking antibiotics in some cases could even raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, according to the Daily Mail.
Researchers from Harvard University and Rush University in Chicago (Illinois) are the ones responsible for the new findings. After gathering data from more than14,000 women from the biennial Nurses’ Health Study II, the scientists’ work suggests the possibility that women in their ’50s who take antibiotics for at least two months in a row have higher chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
A noticeable degradation effect was found as well
Apart from the higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s, women taking antibiotics for long have shown decreased levels of cognitive functionality. The gut microbiome and the bacteria from it are thought to play a role.
However, there’s no use getting afraid of taking antibiotics anymore. Here’s what Dr. Robert Yolken has to say, as Daily Mail quotes:
More research is needed, but ours suggests that if we can prevent infections and minimize antibiotic treatment in people with mental illness, then we might be able to prevent the occurrence of manic episodes.
As for Alzheimer’s, perhaps everybody knows by now that it’s the most common form of dementia. It installs in a progressive way in a person’s brain. The first symptoms can easily be considered as just a mild form of forgetfulness that any person can experience. The list of later Alzheimer’s symptoms contains the awful ways the disease manifests. The patient may experience urinary and bowel incontinence, significant problems with short and long-term memory, difficulty eating, and more.
The new study was published in PLOS ONE.
