Gut microbiota has been observed to be an important risk factor for the development of COPD, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although antibiotics are known to be one of the main drugs used in COPD treatment, it has been proved to affect the function of the gut microbiota, lead to changes in the composition of the infant’s gut microbiota and increase the risk of developing childhood disease and continuing into adulthood. Our study aims to investigate the the long-term effects of long-term antibiotic use in childhood on the prevalence of COPD in adulthood using a prospective cohort from the UK Biobank.
Our project duration will be approximately no more than 36 months. Our study may provide a new piece of evidence concerning the potential effects of long-term antibiotic use in childhood on the risk of COPD in adulthood, which has rarely been investigated in previous studies. The results might be useful in helping healthcare providers use antibiotic therapy more wisely for infants and young children.
