Acid Reflux Medication Linked to Dementia: Study

Some medications for acid reflux may increase users’ chance of developing dementia 33% when used long term, a study suggests.

Proton pump inhibitors, a class of drugs that includes the popular Prilosec OTC, are medications that significantly reduce the amount of stomach acid a person produces. In doing so, they reduce acidity within the stomach and relieve symptoms.

However, researchers at the University of Minnesota found that frequent use of these drugs over more than four years can harm a person’s brain in a study published in the journal Neurology on Wednesday. 

Researchers gathered data from 5,712 people aged 45 or older who did not have dementia at the start of the study. The average age of this group was 75, meaning they were already at risk of developing the condition.

The Minnesota team separated participants based on how long they used the daily acid reflux medications – if they did at all. Among the longest group, people who used the drug for 4.4 years or longer, 0.24% of participants developed dementia – compared to 0.19% among those who did not use the daily pills at all.

"Proton pump inhibitors are a useful tool to help control acid reflux, however long-term use has been linked in previous studies to a higher risk of stroke, bone fractures and chronic kidney disease," Kamakshi Lakshminarayan, Ph.D., lead author of the study and professor at Minnesota said in a statement.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid enters the food pipeline and irritates the lining. According to the study, those with acid reflux can establish gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can lead to cancer in the esophagus.

"Still, some people take these drugs regularly, so we examined if they are linked to a higher risk of dementia. While we did not find a link with short-term use, we did find a higher risk of dementia associated with long-term use of these drugs," Dr. Lakshminarayan continued.