A new study claims proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), the group of drugs which includes Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid could cause a risk of dementia.
They drugs work by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach. But now German researchers found that people 75 or older who regularly take PPIs had a 44 percent increased risk of dementia, compared with people not using the drugs. The study only found an association, however, and not a cause-and-effect link.
“To evaluate cause-and-effect relationships between long-term PPI use and possible effects on cognition in the elderly, randomized, prospective clinical trials are needed,” said Britta Haenisch, from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn.
“Clinicians should follow guidelines for PPI prescription, to avoid overprescribing PPIs and inappropriate use,”
Haenisch said.
One American doctor, Dr. Malaz Boustani, claims the study’s results are important and need to be shared with patients.
“I’m going to disclose the finding to my patients and then let them decide whether they will take the risk or not,” said
Boustani
“On Monday I have a clinic, and if I have patients taking a PPI or an H2 blocker I will tell them exactly what I’m telling you, and then they can decide.”