Avoid antacid drugs and try milk or yogurt

Acid blocking drugs prescribed to relieve chronic acid reflux may be good for the stomach but increase the risk of bone fractures, according to a study published in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

The research involved a review of the medical and prescription records from 1996 to 2004 of 63,000 adults, all over age 50. The group included close to 15,300 people who had suffered osteoporosis-related fractures of the hip, spine, or wrist.

The researchers found a higher risk for hip fractures among those who had long-term use of acid reflux drugs compared to those who did not. For those who took them for 5 years, the risk was 1.5 times higher, while for those who had 7 years of use the risk soared to 4.5 times higher.

The higher likelihood associated with seven years of use raises some concern, because nearly 30 percent of seniors who fracture their hip die within one year of the event.

The researchers note that it took years of long-term use for the association to become apparent. At this point, it is only the association that has been shown and the study does not prove that in fact the acid reflux drugs were the direct cause of the fractures.

These prescription drugs are also known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They block the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus the acid reflux sufferer feels relieved. But hydrochloric acid, which is used to digest food, also plays a key role in the absorption of calcium — the most important ingredient to keep bones healthy.

It is possible that the acid-blocking properties of the PPIs speed up calcium loss in bones, according to the researchers, but there is nothing in the study that proves this theory. The relationship needs further investigation.

There have been previous research studies that also linked long term use of PPIs with higher risk of fractures.

In the meantime that nothing has been explicitly proven, what can patients do?

Talk to their doctors and ask if there is a particularly good reason for them to continue taking the PPIs.

Those patients with bleeding ulcers would certainly find the beneficial effects of PPI outweighing the risk of fractures.

But those people (and there are many) who take them for “nebulous” reasons, like a little twinge of heartburn or some churning in the stomach should be more cautious about using them continuously.

Safety Tips:

* Use PPIs if you really need them, but get off them as quickly as possible.

* Try milk or yogurt for mild cases of heartburn.