Women who use antibiotics for more than two months after the age of 40 may face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a study published in European Heart Journal found.
Researchers examined 36,429 women who initially did not have cardiovascular disease or cancer. The women were participating in the Nurses' Health Study, a long-term study focused on chronic diseases among women. Researchers estimated hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease in relation to antibiotic use at a young age (20 to 30 years), middle age (40 to 59 years) and older age (60 years and older).
They found at an average of 7.6 years of follow-up, 1,056 participants developed cardiovascular disease. Women who used antibiotics for two months or more during middle adulthood (40 to 59 years) and late adulthood (60-plus years) had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, compared to women who did not use antibiotics during these life stages.
Long-term antibiotic use during middle adulthood increased cardiovascular disease risk by 28 percent and during late adulthood by 32 percent, according to The New York Times.
The study did not find any link between long-term antibiotic use in young adulthood and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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