The danger

Millions of Americans take medications known as proton pump inhibitors every day to treat heartburn and GERD, and in recent years, these drugs have been linked to an increased risk of kidney failure, stroke, and early death from any cause.

And new research shows an additional risk of dementia in people who use these drugs for a long time.

The study, published in the Journal of Neurological Medicine, found that people over the age of 45 who took PPIs for more than four years had a 33 percent higher risk of developing dementia than people who never received the drugs.

Proton pump inhibitors reduce stomach acid by targeting enzymes in the lining of the stomach that produce this acid.

In this regard, the study’s author, Dr. Kamakshi Lakshminarayan, a neurologist at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and a member of the American Neurological Society, told CNN, “This study does not prove that acid reflux drugs cause dementia, but only shows that there are link between them.”

“We need more research to confirm our findings in other large study groups to understand the possible link between long-term use of PPIs and an increased risk of dementia,” she added.

In detail, the study looked at 5,712 people between the ages of 45 and 64 who did not have dementia at the beginning of the study. About 1,500 participants, or 26 percent, received proton pump inhibitors during the period.

And the result? The researchers found that of the 497 people who received proton pump inhibitors for about 4-1/2 years, 58 developed dementia.

And that out of 4,222 participants who did not receive these medications, 415 developed dementia. The researchers did not find a greater risk for people who received these drugs for less than 4.4 years.

The researchers also identified vitamin B12 deficiency and impaired amyloid metabolism as possible links between overuse of PPIs and dementia.

Akshminarayan said some studies have shown that use of acid reflux drugs may be associated with lower levels of vitamin B12. Low B12 is associated with impaired thinking and memory impairment, adding that her team did not have data on B12 levels for the study participants, so they “couldn’t comment on the results.” This theory.”

Dr. Gregory Day, associate professor in the Department of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic Group in Jacksonville, Florida, and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, shares a possible link between PPIs and effects on amyloid in the brain.

Day, who was not involved in the study, said that PPIs can “alter enzymes in the brain” that accumulate as a protein in the brain called amyloid, which is a key component of Alzheimer’s disease.

He pointed out, “Theoretically, these drugs increase amyloid in the brain, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is the number one cause of dementia.”

For people who have been receiving proton pump inhibitors for more than four years, Lakshminarayan recommends talking to a doctor about other options.” Stopping these medications abruptly, she said, may lead to worse symptoms.

Experts also note that people with frequent acid reflux can develop GERD, which can lead to severe gastrointestinal bleeding or esophageal cancer.

2023-08-11 12:02:00

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