People who have taken common types of acid reflux drugs for more than 4 years may be at increased risk of dementia later in life. According to the results of a study released Wednesday.
The study found that people who took proton pump inhibitors (drugs that work by reducing the amount of acid the body makes in the stomach) for more than 4.4 years developed dementia compared to people who didn’t take the drug. 33% more likely to .
of research published The medical journal Neurology said Wednesday that the study did not prove the drug caused dementia, but that continued use could increase the risk of dementia. . dementia suffer About one in three American adults is over the age of 85.
“This study does not prove that acid reflux drugs cause dementia,” said study author Kamakshi Lakshmi, a neurologist at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Public Health in Minneapolis and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr Narayan said: told CNN in an email.
“It just shows an association. Further research is needed to understand sex.”
Over 5,700 people participated in the study. Participants, with an average age of 75 years, had no signs of dementia at the start of the study. Participants were followed for five and a half years.
In the study, people who were prescribed acid reflux medication were divided into four groups based on how long they took the medication.
After adjusting for age, gender, race, and health status, the researchers found that 58 of the 497 people who took PPIs for nearly four and a half years developed dementia.
Those who took the drug for at least 4.4 years had the highest incidence of dementia.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and excluded people who used over-the-counter drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid.
Since 2003, these drugs have been sold without a prescription.
The study also appears to indicate that vitamin B12 deficiency may be associated with overuse of PPIs and dementia.
“Several studies have shown that the use of acid reflux medications may be associated with low levels of vitamin B12. And low vitamin B12 is associated with poor thinking and poor memory. It’s related,” Lakshminarayan said, adding that her team did not have vitamin B12 data levels of the study participants, so “we cannot comment on this theory.”
Fuad J. Moawad, gastroenterologist and spokesperson for the American College of Gastroenterology, said: told USA Today He said previous studies that showed conflicting results on dementia risk could “confuse both patients and prescribers.”
He said the new study design did not measure other factors that could influence the results.
Proton pump inhibitors are “well-tolerated drugs that work well for acid-related disorders. That said, PPIs are likely to be over-prescribed. We often advise weighing the benefits,” Moawad said.
