Systemic Antibiotics and Obesity: Analyses from a Population-Based Cohort

So Young Park; Morena Ustulin; SangHyun Park; Kyung-Do Han; Joo Young Kim; Dong Wook Shin; Sang Youl Rhee

doi:10.3390/jcm10122601

Systemic Antibiotics and Obesity: Analyses from a Population-Based Cohort

J Clin Med. 2021 Jun 12;10(12):2601. doi: 10.3390/jcm10122601.

Authors

So Young Park¹, Morena Ustulin², SangHyun Park³, Kyung-Do Han⁴, Joo Young Kim⁵, Dong Wook Shin⁶, Sang Youl Rhee⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
² Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 03080, Korea.
³ Department of Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁴ Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁵ Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Hanil General Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁶ Supportive Care Center, Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁷ Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.

Abstract

Background: In this study, we analyzed the association between antibiotic use and obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in a Korean adult population.

Methods: Subjects using the Korean National Health Insurance Service sample cohort were retrospectively analyzed in 2015. The differences in obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) status were compared and analyzed according to duration of systemic antibiotic treatment in the previous 10 years (non-users, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tertile).

Results: Subjects who used systemic antibiotics for longer periods were older, satisfied more criteria for MS, and had more comorbidities than non-users (non-users vs. 3rd tertile, p < 0.0001 for all). After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of obesity was higher in subjects who used systemic antibiotics for longer periods than in non-users (non-users vs. 3rd tertile, OR (odds ratio) (95% CI (confidence interval)); 1.20 (1.12-1.38)). The criteria for MS were more satisfied in the 3rd tertile than in non-users. A higher obesity risk was also found in subjects treated with antibiotics targeting Gram-negative organisms than in those targeting Gram-positive organisms.

Conclusion: The risk of obesity was higher in subjects who took systemic antibiotics more frequently. The risk was more prominent when they took antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacteria.

Keywords: anti-bacterial agents; cohort studies; obesity; republic of Korea.