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Study: Some Acid Reflex Drugs Associated with Increased Cardiac Risks

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NewsInferno; July 15, 2013

Some popular acid reflux drugs such as Prilosec (omeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium), and Prevacid (lansoprazole), may increase risks for heart disease and heart attack, according to an emerging report by the American Heart Association.

The report notes that while the drugs may suppress stomach acids, they may also lead to blood vessel constriction, which reduces blood flow, according to Forbes. Study lead, John P. Cooke, clinical professor and chair of the department of cardiovascular sciences at Houston Methodist Hospital, published his findings in the current issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid are in the drug class known as protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) and, in lab studies, were associated with a 25 percent increase in a compound known to be a cardiovascular risk, according to NewsMax. PPIs are expected to have the same reactions in humans, according to the research

Cooke and his team continue their research in the hopes of strengthening these conclusions, according to NewsMax. “There’s going to be more information coming out that will, in my opinion, raise concerns about the long-term effects of proton pump inhibitors and risk of heart damage,” Cooke told Forbes.

According to Cooke, patients with a family history of heart disease or other risk factors, should consider avoiding PPIs. “I’d tell people, if there’s something else they could be taking that would effectively control their symptoms … maybe that would be better,” he told Forbes.

Prior research suggests that PPIs can lead to pneumonia and intestinal infections, according to Consumer Reports.

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