Antibiotic use and gut microbiome composition links from individual-level prescription data of 14,979 individuals

Nature Medicine 2026 Open access

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Authors: Gabriel Baldanzi, Anna Larsson, Sergi Sayols-Baixeras, Koen F. Dekkers, Ulf Hammar, Diem Nguyen, Tíscar Graells, Shafqat Ahmad, Camila Gazolla Volpiano, Guillaume Méric, Josef D. Järhult, Thomas Tängdén
+8 more Jonas F. Ludvigsson, Lars Lind, Johan Sundström, Karl Michaëlsson, Johan Ärnlöv, Beatrice Kennedy, Marju Orho-Melander, Tove Fall
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04284-y
Cited by: 22
References: 66

Abstract

Disruptions in gut microbiome are implicated in cardiometabolic disorders and other health outcomes. Antibiotics are known gut microbiome disruptors, but their long-term consequences remain underexplored. Here we combined individual-level data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register with fecal metagenomes of 14,979 adults to examine the association between oral antibiotic use over 8 years and gut microbiome. In multivariable confounder-adjusted regression models, antibiotic use

Fields of Study & Subjects

Gut microbiota and health Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts

Publication details

Journal / source
Nature Medicine
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
32
Issue
4
Pages
1351–1361
Publication date
11 March 2026
Language
EN