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According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, several brands of popular heartburn medications may increase your risk of developing gradual, chronic and often silent kidney damage. If you’re taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to alleviate heartburn or other acid-related stomach conditions, here’s what you should know.
PPIs and What They’re Prescribed to Treat
PPIs are medications that work to reduce the production of stomach acid by preventing the cells lining the stomach from producing an excessive amount of acid. They are used to treat numerous conditions caused by an overproduction of stomach acid, including stomach ulcers, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, among others. Popular brands of PPIs include Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec and Protonix.
PPIs’ Newfound Connection to Unforeseen Chronic Kidney Disease
While previous studies have connected PPIs to a higher risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), new research published in Kidney International on Feb. 22 has made a connection between PPIs and the onset of chronic kidney disease, even in cases without any noticeable symptoms of acute kidney injury.
After evaluating 125,596 new users of PPIs and 18,436 new users of histamine H2 receptor agonists (H2 blockers) over a five-year period, researchers have found that the PPI users had a higher risk of developing acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Approximately 18 percent of patients using PPIs developed acute kidney injurycompared to 13 percent of patients using H2 blockers.
Even after excluding patients with acute kidney injury from their multivariable models, researchers noted that more than 50 percent of participants using PPIs who developed chronic kidney disease did so without having previous instances of acute kidney injury. These results suggest that extended PPI usage could increase the risk of chronic and unforeseen kidney damage.
However, the researchers have also noticed a greater instance of simultaneous chronic conditions in patients taking PPIs compared to patients taking H2 blockers, which could have affected their outcomes. They also did not keep tabs on the duration of PPI usage and any other medications taken by patients at the time of the study.
Tell your doctor if you’re using PPIs over an extended period and consider getting your kidneys checked by a Nephrologist at regular intervals. As PPIs could increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease without warning signs or symptoms, being proactive and monitoring your usage while taking these medications may help mitigate any possible damage.
