Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, are a common heartburn relief medicine. Some examples are Omeprazole (Prilosec), Famotidine (Pepcid) and Pantoprazole (Protonix). While they can be helpful in the short-term, long-term use can throw a wrench in the digestive process. PPIs don’t correct the original problem but mask it while the underlying destructive processes continues.
New Link with Dementia
And now, a new study[1] found that people who used proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for more than 4.4 cumulative years were at a 33% higher risk of developing dementia than those reporting no use.
Previous studies showed mixed results in regards to PPIs and dementia but didn’t study cumulative use. This study used 5,712 dementia-free participants (58% were women) and the median follow up was 5.5 years and studied cumulative use. There were no significant associations for shorter times of PPI use.
While we need more studies to understand what the relationship is between dementia and cumulative PPI use, it is important to heal your gut now and help prevent this occurring to you or a loved one that may be on chronic PPI use.
What are Some Causes of Heartburn?
Naturopathic medicine shines at correcting underlying issues and can help you address the cause of your symptoms.
Eating an improper diet, having a hiatal hernia which allows acid to be where it’s not meant to be, stress, lack of optimal GI health (lack of enzymes, acid, chewing food, etc.), etc.
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Here is another article on our web page from with helpful information:
Heartburn -Get relief with naturopathic medicine on our web page.
Feel free to contact Boise Natural Health for a free 15 min consult or to set up your appointment with Dr. Nicole Maxwell.
[1] Northuis C, Bell E, Lutsey P, George KM, Gottesman RF, Mosley TH, Whitsel EA, Lakshminarayan K. Cumulative Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of Dementia: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Neurology. 2023 Aug 9:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207747. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207747. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37558503.