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Some antibiotics alter gut microbiome composition for up to eight years
A Swedish study of nearly 15,000 adults found clindamycin reduced gut bacterial species by 47 on average, with effects lasting up to eight years after treatment.
- On March 11, 2026, researchers at Uppsala University published a study in Nature Medicine linking antibiotic use to gut microbiome changes lasting up to eight years in nearly 15,000 Swedish adults.
- Analyzing drug register data from 14,979 adults in Sweden, scientists compared gut microbiome diversity between participants who had received antibiotics and those who had not, finding even a single course leaves traces.
- Clindamycin proved most disruptive, linked to an average of 47 fewer detected species, while fluoroquinolones and flucloxacillin also correlated with significant changes in bacterial abundance.
- Jotham Suez, a microbiome researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, called the study scope "impressive," while molecular epidemiologist Tove Fall cautioned that bacterial diversity recovery slows significantly after two years.
- Researchers are currently collecting second samples from nearly half of participants to better understand recovery times, with Gabriel Baldanzi, first author of the study, noting "People should continue to follow their doctor's recommendations.
32 Articles
32 Articles
The intestinal microbiota, that community of bacteria that inhabits our digestive tract, and whose composition is unique in each person, establishes interactions with the organism...
The taking of antibiotics can affect the composition of the intestinal bacterial community, the intestinal microbioma, during a period that may go up to eight years in accordance with the medications used, indicates a published study yesterday. led by scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden, the study revealed strong links between the use of antibiotics and the composition of the intestinal microbioma of each person, including the diversity o…
Recent research shows that the effect of certain antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome may persist years after treatment. The authors warn that, although these drugs save lives, their excessive use could permanently modify the bacterial community of the intestine and favor long-term health problems. The work, led by the University of Uppsala (Sweden) and published in Nature Medicine, analyzed samples and prescription records for almost 15,000…
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