You May Want to Avoid Heartburn Remedies

New study data suggests that some popular heartburn medications show a potential link to the development of dementia. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) with names like Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid had previously been potentially linked to kidney damage and bone fractures however new data suggests that these proton pump inhibitors also have implications for those 75 years of age and older.

Proton pump inhibitors work to reduce gastric acid however various articles looking at the new study data indicate that prolonged use of the drugs is the real culprit. While the risk of developing dementia increases by at least 44% among those who use these drugs regularly, women who had been taking the drugs for 18 months were most at risk. Researchers caution that more work needs to be done to move the association between PPI’s and dementia to more solid ground.

As with any medication, make sure your doctor knows everything you take for every condition including prescriptions, over the counter drugs and herbal remedies so that you can be properly monitored and have any potential drug interactions dealt with.

Members of The Oldish have access to a Medication Checklist in the Toolkit that can be filled out, saved, emailed and updated as needed. Membership is required to safeguard your personal information but it’s FREE!