As many as 45% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) still have symptoms after receiving a once-daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. A recent study by Jason Abdallah and colleagues at MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, utilized survey, pH, and other data. Although a small trial, the findings showed
A recent article shows patient safety concerns about PPI’s are common and strongly associated with attempts at discontinuation, with or without a provider’s recommendation. Patients at high risk for GI bleeding, who clearly benefit from PPI’s, were just as likely to have tried stopping PPI’s as others. Physicians should always discuss the risks and benefits
Research recently published in the seminal journal Gastroenterology failed to find evidence of alterations in key markers of bone formation and metabolism in postmenopausal women on PPI’s. The study examined calcium absorption, serum or urine mineral levels, parathyroid hormone, Vitamin D status, or bone-mineral density with 6 months of PPI therapy. The prospective double-blind study
No single test identifies reflux as the etiology for extra-esophageal symptoms.
It is well recognized that reflux can be causal in subgroups of patients with chest and ENT symptoms like asthma, cough, hoarseness, sore throat, sinusitis, and ear pain. However, the possibility of reflux as the cause for a variety of ENT symptoms is both overestimated and often abused. In fact, the cause of extraesophageal symptoms
GERD affects 10% to 20% of adults in Western populations and has been known to be an increased risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Research on the association between antireflux medication or surgery and risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma has remained limited, although the typical approach has been to treat reflux aggressively when there are precancerous changes like
Several articles have shown an increased risk of fractures with PPI use as patients get older. Sanna Torvinen-Kiiskinen, PhD, of Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care at the University of Eastern Finland, and colleagues wrote that an association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and risk for fractures remains unclear due to contradictory study findings, and
From the AGA website, here is a nice review of the data thus far and how to alleviate your patients’ concerns. See the AGA review here.
Experts say even though studies have linked proton pump inhibitor use to multiple health problems, the scientific evidence overall is weak, which should help providers reassure concerned patients and avoid unnecessary discontinuation of PPI use. The attention on PPI safety, however, does offer an opportunity for practitioners to discuss limiting use of the drugs because
According to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, data for 13,805 patients aged 66 and older found that gastroesophageal reflux disease was linked to an increased risk of malignancy of the larynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, tonsil, nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses. “GERD is associated with the presence of malignancy of the (upper aerodigestive
Drinking coffee might reduce the risks for cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in most people, but those benefits wane after about three cups a day, according to a review of 218 meta-analyses published in The BMJ. Coffee consumption was linked to lower rates of liver disease, diabetes and some cancers; however, the researchers
