During the study, researchers looked at 14,542 female volunteer nurses living in the US. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered computer test to measure aspects of their memory and thinking. At the end of the study, it was revealed that women who took antibiotics continuously for two months in middle age had poor memory and thinking ability up to seven years later. Furthermore, the effects of antibiotics remained the same, regardless of other factors that lead to cognitive decline such as health status and lifestyle. Experts further explain that changes in memory due to antibiotic use are roughly equivalent to 3 to 4 years of aging.
