The Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) Class Of Drugs Has Long Been Associated With Some Serious Kidney-Related Side Effects
(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
There has long been medical evidence -- albeit little known by many until the past year -- that some popular heartburn drugs and acid reflux medicines like Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium can cause some serious kidney-related side effects including the following:
Acute Interstitial Nephritis (AIN)
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Severe Renal Impairment
Kidney / Renal Failure
Acute Kidney Injury
In November 2016 we learned about a new study that suggests these popular category heartburn medications, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), may increase the risk of ischemic strokes.
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From a press release from the American Heart Association, "Popular heartburn medication may increase ischemic stroke risk", we get the following facts:
A popular group of antacids known as proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, used to reduce stomach acid and treat heartburn may increase the risk of ischemic stroke, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016.
“PPIs have been associated with unhealthy vascular function, including heart attacks, kidney disease and dementia,” said Thomas Sehested, M.D., study lead author and a researcher at the Danish Heart Foundation in Copenhagen, Denmark. “We wanted to see if PPIs also posed a risk for ischemic stroke, especially given their increasing use in the general population.”
Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, is caused by clots blocking blood flow to or in the brain.
Researchers analyzed the records of 244,679 Danish patients, average age 57, who had an endoscopy — a procedure used to identify the causes of stomach pain and indigestion. During nearly six years of follow up, 9,489 patients had an ischemic stroke for the first time in their lives. Researchers determined if the stroke occurred while patients were using 1 of 4 PPIs: omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole (Nexium).
For ischemic stroke, researchers found:
Overall stroke risk increased by 21 percent when patients were taking a PPI.
At the lowest doses of the PPIs, there was slight or no increased stroke risk.
At the highest dose for these 4 PPI’s, stroke risk increased from 30 percent for lansoprazole (Prevacid) to 94 percent for pantoprazole (Protonix).
From a November 15, 2016 HealthDay news report, "Could Common Heartburn Drugs Up Stroke Risk?", we get this supplemental information:
No one is sure why PPIs may have a harmful effect on heart health, Sehested said. He noted that PPIs might reduce levels of biochemicals that are important for the maintenance of blood vessels. Without those biochemicals, people could experience hardening of the arteries, he theorized.
Most PPIs are now available over the counter, and doctors are concerned that people are taking the drugs when they shouldn't, said Dr. Philip Gorelick, medical director of the Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"A lot of people continue to take these medicines for prolonged periods of time, or use these medications for indications that are suspect, or not approved by the FDA," Gorelick said. "So one has to be careful about that."
Using the drugs for a shorter period or at lower doses may prove to be safer, he added.
We will continue to monitor the various side effects that have been associated with the use of Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid, as well as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) heartburn drugs and acid reflux medicines.
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