Drugs Versus Microbiota: How Pharmacotherapy Affects Gut and Probiotic Bacteria

The gut microbiota plays a key role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune system regulation and metabolite production, significantly impacting human health. The balance of the gut microbiota can be easily disturbed by external factors such as lifestyle, diet and drugs. Some medications-such as metformin used to treat type 2 diabetes, levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, statins for cardiovascular diseases, proton pump inhibitors for reducing stomach acid secretion, and pharmaceuticals for lowering blood pressure-can affect the balance of the gut microbiota, causing dysbiosis, which in turn may lead to other diseases. Dietary supplements, probiotics, prebiotics and certain medications alter the composition of the gut microbiota, which plays an essential role in alleviating metabolic disorders. This study discusses the effects of the long-term use of selected pharmaceuticals on the gut and probiotic microbiota in patients. It also examines whether there is a rationale for providing probiotic supplements.