Why Popular Antacids May Increase Risk of Heart Attack, Bone Fractures and Cancer

An antacid is any substance, generally an acid or acidic salt, which neutralizes stomach acidity.

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Antacids perform a neutralization reaction, i.e. they buffer gastric acid, raising the pH to reduce acidity in the stomach. Popular heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been linked to a variety of health problems, including serious kidney damage, bone fractures and dementia. For the study, the researchers examined medical records of some 275,000 users of PPIs and nearly 75,000 people who took another class of drugs known as H2 blockers to reduce stomach acid. When researchers compared patients taking H2 blockers with those taking PPIs for one to two years, we found those on PPIs had a 50 percent increased risk of dying over the next five years. People have the idea that PPIs are very safe because they are readily available, but there are real risks to taking these drugs, particularly for long periods of time. Both PPIs and H2 blockers are prescribed for serious medical conditions such as upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophageal cancer. Over the-counter PPIs are most often used for heartburn and indigestion. As compared with the H2 blocker group, people in the PPI group were older (64 years old, on average, versus 61) and also somewhat sicker, with higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. But these differences cannot fully account for the increased risk of death since the risk remained even when the researchers statistically controlled for age and illness. Over-the-counter PPIs contain the same chemical compo