Study of 2,500 People Links Common Drugs to Years-Long Gut Microbiome Changes
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Study of 2,500 People Links Common Drugs to Years-Long Gut Microbiome Changes
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Summary
More than 2,500 Estonian Biobank participants showed gut microbiome changes that remained detectable years after stopping common medications, not just antibiotics but also antidepressants, beta-blockers, proton pump inhibitors and benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines stood out because their microbiome associations were comparable to broad-spectrum antibiotics, and even drugs within the same class—such as diazepam and alprazolam—did not affect gut microbes equally.
Follow-up stool samples from a smaller subgroup found predictable microbial shifts when people started or stopped certain drugs, reinforcing evidence that the medications themselves drove at least part of the changes.
The findings suggest microbiome studies and clinical interpretation should account for prescription history, because past drug use may confound links between gut bacteria and disease.