Heartburn pills may raise osteoporosis risk, warn experts

Studies conducted in two different years by scientists from University of Pennsylvania (Penn), U.S., and University of Manitoba, Canada found that pills taken to treat heartburn, which is characterized by burning sensation in the chest, raise people’s risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease known to cause increased risk of fractures.

TopNews quoted Rob Dawson, National Osteoporosis Society, England as saying, “All drugs carry some risks so you have to weigh them against the overall benefits.”

Details of the studies
With the help of their studies, researchers aimed at correlating proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)--medications used by large number of patients to cure indigestion and heartburn--to broken bones in later life.

In the first study conducted in 2006, researchers from University of Pennsylvania observed patients taking PPIs for more than a year and gauged the pills’ overall effects.

They found that people who took any sort of heartburn medications continuously for over a year had a 44 percent increased risk of having a hip fracture.

The second study, in 2008, was conducted by the team from University of Manitoba that studied patients taking PPIs for over five to seven years.

The results revealed that people taking PPIs regularly for a long time are at a five-fold increased risk of having a hip fracture.

Dr. Joyce Korvick, deputy safety director, Division of Gastroenterology Products, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was quoted by News By The Second as saying, “Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses.”

The PPIs
Proton Pump Inhibitors are a group of drugs whose main function is to reduce gastric acid production in the body.

These are known to be the most potent inhibitors of acid secretion or heartburn, also known as pyrosis or acid indigestion.

According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, patients suffering indigestion should use PPI drugs for a short time of two to four weeks.

Experts state that PPIs should only be used to control the condition. However, patients suffering from chronic heartburn have to take them every day for a period of two months.

The problem arises when patients wind up taking the drugs permanently to stave off heartburn, stated experts.