Chemistry and Industry - PPIs raise hip fracture risk
People over fifty years old taking heart-burn drugs like Nexium, Zoton or Protonix could be at an increased risk of hip fractures. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in the US examined 15 000 patient records from the UK General Practice Research Database. More than a year’s treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) increased the risk of a hip fracture by 44%. Patients receiving high doses of PPIs over an extended period were 2.6 times more likely to suffer a hip fracture (JAMA 2006, 296, 2947).
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Author Yu-Xiao Yang said that doctors will have to weigh up the pros and cons of prescribing PPIs and use the lowest effective dose. Inhibition of stomach acid production by PPIs is thought to reduce calcium absorption in the GI tract. An AstraZeneca spokesperson said, however, that the findings were ‘clinically irrelevant’ as the average age of the additional 44% who suffered from a hip fracture was 77 and the majority were women.
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