Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in gastroenterology and oncology found that ‘repeated use of certain types of antibiotics increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,’ according to the Daily Mail on March 25. The findings were published in the European Journal of Endocrinology. The researchers looked at the antibiotic use of more than 200,000 people with diabetes in the UK at least one year before diagnosis and compared this number with the antibiotic prescriptions of 800,000 non-diabetic patients of the same age and gender and found that patients who took at least two courses of penicillin, cephalosporins, quinolones and macrolides antibiotics were at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more antibiotics used, the greater the risk. Patients who used 2 to 5 courses of penicillin had an 8% increased risk of developing diabetes, with a 23% increased risk beyond 5 courses; patients who used 2 to 5 courses of quinolone antibiotics had a 15% increased risk of developing diabetes, with the risk increasing to 37% if more than 5 courses were used. These findings held true after adjusting for other risk factors (such as obesity, history of smoking, heart disease, and history of infection). The researchers concluded that both animal and human studies have found that gut bacteria influence the development of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and that antibiotic use alters the distribution of gut flora. Altered numbers and diversity of gut bacteria could explain the relationship between antibiotic use and diabetes risk. Experts say the findings not only help explore the causes of diabetes, but also warn that antibiotic abuse must be banned because the harms far outweigh the benefits. Diabetes is a lifelong condition, and although some patients can be completely relieved by surgery, they still need to be proactive and preventative.