A NEW study examining the effects of antimicrobial exposure on Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk has revealed insights that could influence prescribing decisions, especially concerning antibiotics and antifungal medications. Conducted with data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), researchers analyzed records from over 12,000 people with Parkinson’s and nearly 81,000 matched controls to assess PD risk in relation to various types of antimicrobial exposure.
Key findings suggest that certain antibiotics, such as penicillin, may be associated with a reduced risk of PD, while some antifungal treatments could modestly increase PD risk. Specifically, the study noted a dose-dependent reduction in Parkinson’s risk with penicillin exposure: individuals who had been prescribed penicillin more than five times showed a slightly lower risk of PD (odds ratio: 0.85) compared to those without such exposure. This pattern held consistently across the different time frames studied, spanning up to 15 years prior to diagnosis.
In contrast, the use of antifungal agents was linked to an elevated risk of Parkinson’s. Patients prescribed two or more courses of antifungals in the 5 years preceding diagnosis had a 16% higher risk of developing PD. The mechanisms behind these associations remain speculative, but alterations in gut microbiome composition, a known factor in PD, could play a role.
These findings underscore the complex relationship between antimicrobial exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. For clinicians, these results suggest that when prescribing antimicrobials, it may be worth considering long-term neurological health, particularly among patients with additional PD risk factors. Further research is necessary to clarify causation and explore underlying mechanisms, but these findings open new pathways for understanding PD prevention.
Reference: Pal G et al. Effects of antimicrobial exposure on the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2024;127(10);107081.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
