Journal Club: How Common Medications Disrupt the Gut Microbiome

Course overview

The gut microbiota is a vital ecosystem that supports digestion, immune regulation, and protection against pathogens. While the effects of antibiotics on the microbiome are well known, many non-antibiotic drugs, such as antipsychotics, proton pump inhibitors, NSAIDs, and cardiovascular agents, also alter microbial composition and function. These disruptions can reduce colonization resistance and increase infection risk. This course reviews the microbiota's physiologic roles, mechanisms of drug-induced disruption, clinical features of dysbiosis, and strategies to prevent and manage microbiome imbalance through medication stewardship, dietary interventions, and evidence-based therapies.