> there’s a reason that antibiotic use is associated with increased risk of depression, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.
The causality could be different, right?
From the MS study: "this study found that penicillin use and use of other antibiotics were similarly associated with increased risk of MS, suggesting that the underlying infections may be causally associated with MS."
Likewise, depression could cause or worsen infections, or infections could cause depression, or some third factor could cause both.
I was wondering if anyone would catch that—good eye!
I am skeptical of the authors' conclusions around the direction of causality there, because there's a solid mechanistic explanation for antibiotics->MS and I haven't heard a good "common cause" one.
You have a great way with words.
> there’s a reason that antibiotic use is associated with increased risk of depression, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.
The causality could be different, right?
From the MS study: "this study found that penicillin use and use of other antibiotics were similarly associated with increased risk of MS, suggesting that the underlying infections may be causally associated with MS."
Likewise, depression could cause or worsen infections, or infections could cause depression, or some third factor could cause both.
I was wondering if anyone would catch that—good eye!
I am skeptical of the authors' conclusions around the direction of causality there, because there's a solid mechanistic explanation for antibiotics->MS and I haven't heard a good "common cause" one.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29681209/