based on a study by
Lazarus B, Chen Y, Wilson F, et al. Proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of chronic kidney disease. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(2):238-246.
Published in Natural Health Journal
Widely prescribed medications for stomach upset are not risk-free
The use of proton pump inhibitors was once thought to be relatively harmless, and many patients recall being told that there were no side effects. These are some of the most heavily prescribed medications, with more than 15 million Americans using PPI medications. It is estimated that 70% of these prescriptions are unnecessary. This is not even counting the over-the-counter PPI medications available without a prescription. The author also sees many kidney patients treated with prednisone for glomerulonephritis who are also given PPI prophylactically for stomach irritation.
Many patients take PPIs unnecessarily. For those who do in fact have GERD, there are many treatment alternatives to consider before resorting to PPI use.
Key findings
Proton pump inhibitor use is a risk factor for CKD; baseline PPI users had a greater incidence of CKD than nonusers. However, PPI users were also more likely to be obese and take antihypertensive medication, indicating other risk factors. When data was analyzed adjusting for hazard ratio, comparing users and nonusers with similar risk for CKD, the association between PPI use and incidence persisted. The risk was also dose-dependent: twice- daily dosing was associated with a higher risk of incident CKD than once-daily dosing.
To read the complete report on proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of chronic kidney disease published in Natural Medicine Journal: