Gastric reflux drugs may be tied to dementia risk

[n2doc]

By Kathryn Doyle

Reuters Health - Repeated use of a certain class of drugs for gastric reflux or peptic ulcers was linked with a higher risk for dementia among patients in Germany, researchers say.

The drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), include lansoprazole (Prevacid), esomeprazole (Nexium), and omeprazole (Prilosec), all manufactured by AstraZeneca.

The current study can only provide a statistical association between PPI prescriptions and occurrence of dementia in the elderly. It can’t prove that PPIs actually cause dementia, said senior author Britta Haenisch of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn, Germany.

“In our analysis we focused on long-term regular PPI prescription for at least 18 months,” Haenisch told Reuters Health by email.

more

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0VO27I

[ghostsinthemachine]

1. wow, my Dad took that shit

from day one and suffered from dementia.

[StandingInLeftField]

2. Well that explains Larry the Cable Guy.

And I'm being serious.

We're just one big biology experiment.

[Warpy]

3. It might also be tied to a chronic magnesium deficiency

which PPI drugs cause. It also might be due to one of the co morbidities with GERD, and there are many linked to dementia.

[angstlessk]

4. I don't trust many drugs...I'll stick to my Tums

Have you seen the side effects of the drug that will make your toenails prettier (kill that ugly fungi). LIVER damage, but hey...on that autopsy table you will have pretty toenails...what else could you hope for?

[LongTomH]

5. Found this blog on quitting PPI drugs

How to Quit Prilosec and Zantac

[Sgent]

7. I'm suspicious

Zantac is a H2 antagonist, not a PPI. Completely different medicines.

[Lex]

6. The reason correlation doesn't equal causation is this

from the article, which only studied women:

"women who took PPIs were more often obese, had arthritis, and had poorer health generally than others, which may increase dementia risk, Kuller wrote."