Those who take drugs such as Nexium to treat their stomach and heartburn problems could potentially increase their chances of developing stomach cancer in the future, a new study has revealed.
According Dr Wai Keung Leung, a lead professor of gastroenterology at the University of Hong Kong, people who take the drugs which are known in the medical profession as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are more than likely to be between two to eight times more at risk for developing the fatal illness than those who don’t use the popular drugs.
Although the the direct link between the continuous usage of the drugs could not be directly linked to the disease Dr Leung stated those who took the drugs are statistically more likely to develop the illness especially if they are using the to treat conditions such as Helicobacter pylori.
Speaking about his team’s latest findings Dr Leung told HealthDay.com: “While PPIs are one of the most commonly used medications for treating reflux disease as well as dyspepsia, clinicians should exercise caution when prescribing long-term PPIs, even to patients who have H. pylori eradicated.”
However Dr Leung did agree that eliminating H. pylori lowers the risk of stomach cancer significantly, he did raise concerns about the statistics which show that people still develop the deadly illness once their condition clears up.
Dr Leung did note that there is currently no definitive proof that links PPI’s to stomach cancer and they are generally considered safe, but he did say that he and his team did determine that an association exists.
He added: “My advice to PPI users, particularly those with past H. pylori infection, is to be cautious with the prolonged usage of PPIs.”
“Doctors should review the indications and needs of long-term PPIs in these patients.”