Acid Reflux Drugs May Up Fractures
Aug. 11, 2008 -- Using acid reflux drugs called proton pump inhibitors for at least seven years may be linked to increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.
That news comes from a Canadian study of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and osteoporosis-related fractures. PPIs are a class of drugs that include Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix
The study shows a link between long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and greater likelihood of osteoporosis-related fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine.
But that association took years to appear, and the study doesn't prove that PPIs were to blame for any fractures. Makers of PPIs tell WebMD they haven't seen any signs of increased osteoporosis-related fracture risk in people using their products.
More research is needed; meanwhile, patients and their doctors should revisit the risks and benefits of long-term PPI use, according to an editorial published with the study in the Canadian Medical Association's journal, CMAJ.
The study included 63,000 adults aged 50 and older in Manitoba, Canada, including nearly 15,300 who sustained an osteoporosis-related fracture of the hip, spine, or wrist from 1996 to 2004.
The researchers -- who included the University of Manitoba's Laura Targownik, MD, MSHS -- checked participants' prescription records.
People who suffered an osteoporosis-related fracture were almost twice as likely to have used a PPI for at least seven years. Using PPIs for six or fewer years wasn't linked to fracture risk.
Hip fracture risk may have started earlier. People with hip fractures were 62% more likely to have used a PPI for at least five years. Briefer use of PPIs wasn't associated with hip fracture risk.
It's not clear how PPIs might increase fracture risk, but it may be that by inhibiting stomach acid, PPIs speed up bone mineral loss, Targownik's team speculates. But the study doesn't prove that.
The researchers considered many factors, including participants' other prescriptions, medical history, and income. Still, they can't rule out the possibility that they missed other influences.
Long-term PPI use and fracture risk have been linked in previous research.
That news comes from a Canadian study of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and osteoporosis-related fractures. PPIs are a class of drugs that include Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix
The study shows a link between long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and greater likelihood of osteoporosis-related fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine.
But that association took years to appear, and the study doesn't prove that PPIs were to blame for any fractures. Makers of PPIs tell WebMD they haven't seen any signs of increased osteoporosis-related fracture risk in people using their products.
More research is needed; meanwhile, patients and their doctors should revisit the risks and benefits of long-term PPI use, according to an editorial published with the study in the Canadian Medical Association's journal, CMAJ.
PPIs and Osteoporosis Fractures
The study included 63,000 adults aged 50 and older in Manitoba, Canada, including nearly 15,300 who sustained an osteoporosis-related fracture of the hip, spine, or wrist from 1996 to 2004.
The researchers -- who included the University of Manitoba's Laura Targownik, MD, MSHS -- checked participants' prescription records.
People who suffered an osteoporosis-related fracture were almost twice as likely to have used a PPI for at least seven years. Using PPIs for six or fewer years wasn't linked to fracture risk.
Hip fracture risk may have started earlier. People with hip fractures were 62% more likely to have used a PPI for at least five years. Briefer use of PPIs wasn't associated with hip fracture risk.
It's not clear how PPIs might increase fracture risk, but it may be that by inhibiting stomach acid, PPIs speed up bone mineral loss, Targownik's team speculates. But the study doesn't prove that.
The researchers considered many factors, including participants' other prescriptions, medical history, and income. Still, they can't rule out the possibility that they missed other influences.
Benefits of PPIs vs. Risks
Long-term PPI use and fracture risk have been linked in previous research.
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