Antibiotics may increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease in older people, study claims

The risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease in people aged 60 years and older increases with the amount of antibiotics they are prescribed, a new study has found.

Older adults are 27% more likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease after receiving one antibiotic prescription than those who have not taken antibiotics in the past five years, according to data presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week conference.

Those who received antibiotics twice had a 55% increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease, and those who received these drugs to treat infections three times had a 67% increased risk. After four courses of antibiotics, the risk of developing the mentioned disease increases by 96%, and after five courses - by 236%, the researchers reported.

However, if patients present with overt infections and need antibiotics, they should not be discontinued because of these findings, said study co-author.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of diseases that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

All diseases of this kind are caused by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to damage, resulting in pain and discomfort.

Approximately 3 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with this condition, according to the agency.

Most cases of inflammatory bowel disease occur in people with a similar history, but some cases are related to diet and other "environmental" influences, including medications used to treat other conditions.

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