ANTIBIOTICS have long been hailed as a cornerstone of modern medicine, effectively treating bacterial infections. However, their reliability has diminished in recent years due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A recent study has uncovered a worrying link between diabetes and the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
The study highlights that individuals with diabetes are significantly more likely to develop antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is one of the leading causes of drug-resistant infections and is particularly prevalent among people with diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition that impairs blood sugar control and weakens the immune system.
“We found that antibiotic resistance emerges much more rapidly in diabetic models than in non-diabetic models,” said the team. “This interplay between bacteria and diabetes could be a major driver of the rapid evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance.”
Diabetes creates an environment in which bacteria thrive. Elevated blood sugar levels allow Staphylococcus aureus to multiply rapidly while also impairing the immune system’s ability to fight infections. As bacterial populations increase in a diabetic patient, so does the likelihood of mutations that confer antibiotic resistance. Once a resistant strain emerges, it can quickly dominate the bacterial population due to the abundance of glucose and the weakened immune response.
To test their hypothesis, the researchers used a mouse model of S. aureus infection, dividing the subjects into diabetic and non-diabetic groups. Both groups were treated with rifampicin, an antibiotic known for its high rate of resistance development. After just five days, the diabetic mice harboured over 100 million rifampicin-resistant bacteria, while no such resistance was detected in the non-diabetic group. The study further demonstrated that controlling blood sugar levels through insulin reduced bacterial growth and prevented the emergence of resistant strains.
The implications of this research are significant. Antibiotic-resistant infections spread through everyday contact, posing a risk to the wider population. However, this study suggests that improved diabetes management could play a key role in reducing antibiotic resistance. The authors now plan to investigate whether similar trends occur in humans and other bacterial infections, including those affecting chemotherapy patients and organ transplant recipients.
With antibiotic resistance becoming an increasingly urgent global health threat, this research underscores the need for integrated healthcare strategies that address both infection control and chronic disease management.
Victoria Antoniou, EMJ
Reference
Shook JC et al. Diabetes potentiates the emergence and expansion of antibiotic resistance. Sci Adv. 2025;11(7):eads1591.
