ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2023
Association between antibiotics and asthma risk among adults aged over 40 years: a nationally representative retrospective cohort study.
Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Characterising the allergen landscape in paediatric allergic rhinitis and/or asthma.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Article
- Extended antibiotic exposure and exacerbations, mortality, and healthcare costs in asthma.Scientific reports · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSeveral studies have reported that exposure to antibiotics can lead to asthma during early childhood. However, the association between antibiotic use and risk of asthma in the adult population remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between antibiotic use and asthma in adults.
methodsWe used data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-Health Screening Cohort, which included participants aged ≥40 years who had health screening examination data in 2005-2006. A total of 248 961 participants with a mean age of 55.43 years were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. To evaluate antibiotic exposure from the NHIS database for 5 years (2002-2006), cumulative usage and multiclass prescriptions were identified, respectively. During the follow-up period (2007-2019), 42 452 patients were diagnosed with asthma. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess the association between antibiotic use and newly diagnosed asthma.
resultsParticipants with antibiotic use for ≥91 days showed a higher risk of asthma (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.84, 95% CI 1.72 to 1.96) compared with participants who did not use antibiotics (n=38 450), with a duration-dependent association (p
conclusionsThe duration-response pattern observed in antibiotic use and asthma may suggest the implication of proper antibiotic use and management in adults.
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