Frequent use of antibiotics may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) -- Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis -- in people over the age of 40, a new study has shown. According to the study published in the journal Gut, the risk appears to be cumulative and greatest 1-2 years after use, particularly for antibiotics used to treat gut infections.

In the study, more than 6.1 million people were included, and just over half of them were female. In total, 5.5 million (91 per cent) were prescribed at least one course of antibiotics between 2000 and 2018. During this period, some 36,017 new cases of ulcerative colitis and 16,881 new cases of Crohn's disease were diagnosed, according to the study.