March 18, 2019—If you have frequent heartburn, you may be taking a medicine like Prilosec, Nexium or Prevacid. These are all brand names for some of the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide: proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They help prevent heartburn, that burning feeling that happens when the food and liquid in your stomach backs up to your throat.
PPIs are available either by prescription or over the counter. Doctors also use them to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a more serious and long-lasting form of heartburn.
But be aware: These drugs may raise your risk of kidney disease, a new study suggests.
A closer look
Researchers looked at data on roughly 43,000 people who took PPIs and no other medicine. Then they compared it to data on 8,000 people who took another type of heartburn medicine—H2 blockers like Zantac and Pepcid—and no other drug. Here's what they found:
People who took PPIs were 28.4 times more likely to report chronic kidney disease. They were also 35.5 times more likely to report kidney failure.
Still, the study doesn't show that PPIs definitely cause kidney disease—it only reveals an association between the two, the researchers clarified.
The study appeared in the medical journal Scientific Reports.
What causes heartburn and how can you avoid it? Find out here.