The use of common heartburn medications, proton pump inhibitors sold under various brand names, could result in severe kidney damage over time, according to a study published in Kidney International.
Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System examined 125,596 new users of PPIs and 18,436 new users of other heartburn drugs referred to as H2 blockers.
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The study shows that while 80 percent of PPI users did not initially develop acute kidney problems, more than half of the users developed chronic kidney damage and end-stage renal disease.
However, 7.67 percent of new H2 blocker users developed chronic kidney disease in the absence of acute kidney problems, and 1.27 percent developed end-stage renal disease.
"Our results indicate kidney problems can develop silently and gradually over time, eroding kidney function and leading to long-term kidney damage or even renal failure. Patients should be cautioned to tell their doctors if they're taking PPIs and only use the drugs when necessary," said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, the study's senior author and an assistant professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.
Recent research has linked the use of PPIs to risk of stroke, as well as Clostridium difficile and Campylobacter.
Research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016 in New Orleans showed that stroke risk increased by 21 percent when patients were taking a PPI medication. While a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology showed commonly prescribed heartburn medication use resulted in a 1.7-times and 3.7-times higher risk for C. diff and Campylobacter, respectively.