Studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that use of proton pump inhibitors for use in minor gastrointestinal disorders may not be worth the health risk, according to a report in American Medical News.
One study found that postmenopausal women on PPIs had a 47 percent increase risk for spinal fractures and a 26 percent increased risk for wrist or forearm fractures than those not taking the drugs. A second study of patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that PPI patients had a 74 percent increased risk of Clostridium difficle infection.
The results of the study have led researchers to caution physicians against prescribing PPIs for minor gastrointestinal disorders, such as indigestion.
Read the AMNews report on PPIs in gastrointestinal treatment.