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Tag: Proton-pump inhibitor

  • PPIs found to increase risk of kidney failure

    PPIs found to increase risk of kidney failure

    Routine use of proton pump inhibitors, common over-the-counter medications used to treat acid reflux, can increase the risk of kidney failure four-fold.

    Researchers examined health data on more than 190,000 patients over a 15-year period in a retrospective study. None of the patients had existing kidney disease at the start. Researchers compared patients who were eventually given a PPI and those who weren’t ever given one. Common PPIs include Prevacid (lansoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole) and Nexium (esomeprazole).

    Results, published in Pharmacotherapy, found that those on a PPI had a 20% increased risk of chronic kidney disease compared with those not on the drug. In addition, those on a PPI were four times as likely to experience kidney failure. The study authors noted that the risks were highest in those 65 and older.

    Although PPIs are only meant for short-term use, overuse of the medications are as high as 70% of patients.

    Lead author David Jacobs, PharmD, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted that doctors need to be educated on the dangers of overuse of PPIs and deprescribing initiatives developed.

    Last month, a study that analyzed adverse events reports sent to the FDA found that PPIs were associated with an increased risk of kidney disease.

    This story first appeared on Medshadow.org.

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  • Prolonged use of PPIs may increase risk of stomach cancer

    Prolonged use of PPIs may increase risk of stomach cancer

    Prolonged use of a class of drugs popularly used to control acid reflux and heartburn (proton-pump inhibitor or PPI) can significantly increase one’s risk of developing stomach cancer.

    Researchers looked at more than 60,000 adults who had taken a combination of a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) and two antibiotics to kill H. pylori bacteria for 7 days. Eliminating that bacteria from the gut can significantly lower a person’s risk of developing stomach cancer. However, many people continue to take a PPI regularly after the bacteria has been eliminated, often for years.

    The patients were then monitored for an average of 7.5 years. The researchers compared those who were taking PPIs with another drug class used to decrease acid production in the gut, H2 receptor antagonists (H2 blockers).

    PPIs and H2 blockers are widely available over the counter. Common PPIs include Nexium (esomeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole) and Prilosec (omeprazole). Popular H2 blockers include Pepcid (famotidine), Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac (ranitidine).

    Those on PPIs had a 2.4 times higher risk of developing stomach cancer, the researchers reported in the journal Gut. However, taking an H2 blocker was not linked to a higher risk.

    The risk also increased the more frequently a PPI was used. Daily use was associated with a 4.5 times higher risk of developing stomach cancer compared with weekly use. Also, the longer a PPI was used, the greater the risk.

    After more than a year of use, the risk of stomach cancer increased 5-fold; 6-fold after 2 or more years; and more than 8-fold after at least 3 years.

    Other research has indicated long-term use of PPIs can lead to other side effects, including pneumonia, heart attack and bone fracture. The study’s authors say that doctors should exercise caution when telling patients to take a PPI for a long period of time.

    This post was first published in www.medshadow.org.

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