Commonly used heart burn drugs may increase risk for stroke amongst patients, study suggests
-Recent preliminary research, conducted in Denmark, analysed the data of 244,679 adults of an average age of 67 undergoing endoscopy to know the causes of their stomach pain or indigestion.
-The study suggest that patients administered with proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole and esomeprazole) were at 21% increased risk of ischemic stroke compared to those who were not using the medication.
-Proton pump inhibitors are a class of drugs that are commonly used for treating heart burn/ pain in the chest caused by the rise in the stomach acid into the esophagus.
-The study being observational in nature, needs further research to validate the association between PPI and risk of cardiovascular disorders. Nonetheless, experts suggested that the patients should be using these drugs with caution.
-Findings were presented in the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016
Source: American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016