Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Older Adults and Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a global health concern, and its prevalence among older adults and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients is gaining attention. Understanding the extent of antibiotic resistance in these populations is critical for designing targeted interventions.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in older adults and AD patients with a focus on quantitative studies in order to provide comprehensive insights into the current landscape.

Methods: To identify relevant studies, we conducted a thorough search of the PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. Only studies involving adults and AD patients, published in English, and reporting quantitative data on antibiotic resistance prevalence were considered. The Risk of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was used to assess quality. The data was summarized by using Revman 5.4.1.

Results: A total of six studies met the final criteria for selection and results from the meta-analysis found a pooled prevalence odds ratio of OR = 1.27 (95% CI: [0.99, 1.63], Z = 1.87, p = 0.06). The studies showed significant heterogeneity (I2 = 100%, p < 0.00001), emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation.

Conclusions: The findings indicate a potential trend of increased antibiotic resistance in older adults and AD patients, though statistical significance was not achieved for both. The significant heterogeneity highlights the complexity of resistance patterns in these populations, necessitating additional research for tailored interventions.