September 24, 2024: A Warning Against Antibiotics for Minor IssuesFor those who advise taking antibiotics for minor ailments, this news is crucial. A recent study published in The Lancet warns that nearly 40 million people could die from antibiotic-resistant infections by the year 2050.
The study also predicts that the number of deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant infections will increase in the coming decades. The senior author of the study, Christopher JL Murray, who is the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, stated, “This is a significant problem and will persist for a long time.”
Researchers associated with this study have cautioned that due to antibiotic resistance, treating even common infections may become increasingly difficult. The study revealed that older adults are disproportionately affected by deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and are at a higher risk of infections.
To clarify, AMR refers to antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time, rendering medications ineffective against them.
During the study, data from 520 million points across 240 countries, including hospital discharge records, insurance claims, and death certificates, was analyzed. The authors found that antimicrobial resistance accounted for over 1 million deaths annually between 1990 and 2021.
They estimate that deaths due to AMR will continue to rise. Kevin Ikuta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at UCLA and the lead author of the study, indicated that there could be 39 million deaths in the next 25 years, averaging nearly three deaths per minute.
The study also noted that deaths from AMR indicate a more than 50% decline in child mortality between 1990 and 2021, while deaths among individuals aged 70 and above have increased by over 80%. The authors expressed hope that child mortality will decrease by 2050.
However, during this same period, the death toll among the elderly is projected to nearly double. This change may result in higher AMR-related deaths in older adults compared to other age groups, as the global population ages and becomes more vulnerable to infections.
It is estimated that out of the 39 million AMR-related deaths, 11.8 million will occur in South Asia, with a significant number also expected in sub-Saharan Africa. Ikuta has warned against the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics, emphasizing that this is a major contributor to the rise in bacterial resistance.