Long-term use of popular heartburn medicine tied to 33 per cent higher dementia risk
Heartburn is a burning feeling in the chest which is caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat, known as acid reflux
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People who have taken heartburn medicines for a long time have a higher risk of getting dementia, a new study has claimed.
Medications used to tackle acid reflux, when used for an extended period, can increase the risk of dementia by 33 per cent.
Whilst they have proved to be a “useful tool” to help control acid reflux, their extended use of over four years can have potentially frightening side effects.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in the US assessed 5,712 people aged 45 or older, none of which had dementia when the study began.
Participants of the study were all over 45 years old and none had dementia when it began
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They monitored the participants’ medication for over five years to see if they took acid reflux drugs.
“While we did not find a link with short-term use, we did find a higher risk of dementia associated with long-term use of these drugs,” study author Kamakshi Lakshminarayan said.
The researchers then divided the group into four – ranging from people who did not take the drugs, to those who took them for more than 4.4 years.
During the research, 585 people, or about ten per cent, developed dementia.
The study, published in journal Neurology, found that those who took the drug for more than 4.4 years had a 33 per cent higher risk of contracting the disease.
However, those who took the drugs for less than 4.4 years did not have a higher risk.
They concluded that these findings did not establish a direct link between the heartburn drugs and dementia, only a correlation.
Heartburn is a burning feeling in the chest which is caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat, known as acid reflux.
Those who took the drugs for over four years had a 33 per cent higher risk of getting dementia
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If a person keeps on suffering from heartburn, they may develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
People with GERD are also at a slightly increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
The medication generally prescribed to acid reflux sufferers, works by targeting enzymes in the stomach that produces the acid.
“While there are various ways to treat acid reflux, such as taking antacids, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding late meals and certain foods, different approaches may not work for everyone,” Dr Lakshminarayan said.
“It is important that people taking these medications speak with their doctor before making any changes, to discuss the best treatment for them, and because stopping these drugs abruptly may result in worse symptoms,” she said.t in worse symptoms,” she said.