How Safe Are Popular Reflux Drugs?

Experts debate evidence linking acid-blockers to possible bone, heart problems

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

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WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans take drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec to ease the erosive effects of acid reflux, but do these medicines put patients at risk for other health problems?

Experts remain divided on the potential dangers these common prescription medications might pose.

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The drugs belong to a class of pharmaceuticals called "proton pump inhibitors," or PPIs, which are generally considered safe and effective. But lately these acid-reducing medications have been the subject of studies linking their use to a number of health risks, from an increased rate of hip fracture to a greater likelihood of diarrhea and community-acquired pneumonia.

Dr. Kenneth W. Altman, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, draws attention to some of the potential consequences of PPI use in a commentary published in the November issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.

"I really want to emphasize this is an important class of medication and it's helping a lot of people," Altman said. Still, the scientific literature raises questions that require further study, he said, such as how the body's metabolism of PPIs affects blood levels of other drugs processed in the liver.

But Dr. David A. Johnson, chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., doesn't think the current wave of studies meet the rules of evidence to "clearly implicate" PPIs. Furthermore, the studies fail to weigh the benefits of treatment against any potential risk, he said.

Most people experience occasional heartburn. But when the burn is severe or frequent, it may be due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that occurs when the valve that closes off the stomach from the esophagus fails to work properly, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

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