Heartburn Meds and Health Problems

Millions of Americans have used heartburn medications called proton pump inhibitors to help ease pain and discomfort after they eat. But does that help come at a price?

A recent study found that the drugs, also known as PPIs, are linked to a higher heart attack risk. They’ve been tied to other health problems as well.

PPIs in the study included esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), and others. They're available by prescription and over the counter, and both account for $13 billion in sales worldwide. They reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes. That acid can cause a burning pain or discomfort in your chest, along with a bitter taste in your mouth.

The medicines may also treat ulcers and prevent damage to the esophagus caused by reflux.

WebMD turned to two experts and asked them to put the new study and previous research in perspective.

What exactly did the study look at and find?

Researchers looked at medical records representing nearly 3 million people. Some were taking PPIs and others were taking another type of heartburn medicine, H2 blockers: cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine (Zantac). No one had a history of heart disease.

Those who used the PPIs were more likely to have a heart attack than those who did not take the drugs, the researchers reported.

No similar link was found with H2 blockers.

The researchers found only a link between PPIs and heart attacks, though -- they can’t prove that PPIs actually raise the heart attack risk.

Earlier research found PPIs can harm blood vessel lining. That finding led researchers to study if the drugs were linked to a higher risk for heart attack.

"Based on the study, they would estimate the increased risk of a heart attack is about 16%," says Brian Lacy, MD, PhD, section chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He was not involved in the study.

The 16% increased risk ''sounds big, very large," Lacy says. "However, you have to put that in perspective of how many heart attacks actually occur. You possibly would have one extra (heart attack) for every 4,000 people on a PPI."