Jane
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05:49:12 pm on December 28, 2006 | # |
Associated Press has reported on the publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that suggests a potential link between long-term usage of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class of heartburn drugs (Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec) and increased risk of hip fractures in patients over 50 years of age who have taken these drugs for at least a year.
Speculation is that the drugs reduce stomach acid and also reduces body’s ability to absorb calcium, which can lead to weaker bones and fractures.
Other similar but smaller risk has been associated with the H2 blocker class of acid reducing drugs, including Tagamet and Pepcid.
The medical journal’s abstract about this topic gave the following results:
Results There were 13 556 hip fracture cases and 135 386 controls. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for hip fracture associated with more than 1 year of PPI therapy was 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-1.59). The risk of hip fracture was significantly increased among patients prescribed long-term high-dose PPIs (AOR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.80-3.90; P<.001). The strength of the association increased with increasing duration of PPI therapy (AOR for 1 year, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.15-1.30]; 2 years, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.28-1.56]; 3 years, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.37-1.73]; and 4 years, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.39-1.80]; P<.001 for all comparisons).
Drug manufacturers emphasized that these studies do not prove cause-and-effect – only a potential link.
Source: Reuters and JAMA abstract.