Several common medications used to treat heartburn are now being linked to kidney disease. Heartburn is caused by stomach acid that is being pushed back up the esophagus.
Drugs like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid are known as proton-pump inhibitors and are commonly used to treat heartburn. The PPIs block acid secretion to the stomach eliminating heartburn.
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Johns Hopkins University published a study on Monday that ties the PPIs to kidney disease.
Since the study was based on reviewing health and medical records of patients, as opposed to observing a controlled environment, the resulting correlation between the PPIs and kidney disease isn’t 100 percent conclusive.
However, the link between the drugs and kidney disease is strong enough to raise questions and spur additional research into the situation.
The medical records of 10,000 patients were studied and researchers found a 20 to 50 percent increased risk for kidney disease among patients who used PPIs.
Morgan Grams, assistant professor of epidemiology at Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health said, “As a nephrologist I’ve been worried about [the medications] for some time.”
Heartburn can sometimes be prevented by a change in diet, reduced alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.