Proton pump inhibitors do not increase the risk of first-time stroke in regular users, according to study published in Gastroenterology.
Study authors collected data on 68,514 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study since 2000 and 28,989 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study since 2004. Neither cohort had a history of stroke. Researchers then used Cox proportional hazard models to examine the association between stroke risk and PPI use.
Here's what they found.
1. In the two cohorts, approximately 2,599 strokes occurred over a 12-month period, which encompassed 949,330 person-years.
2. Researchers adjusted for stroke risk and age and found that PPI use was associated with no difference in risk of developing a total stroke but there was a statistically significant difference in ischemic stroke.
3. Researchers then adjusted for potential indications for PPI use, including peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease or gastrointestinal bleeding, and found regular PPI use was not associated with increased ischemic stroke risk.
Researchers concluded, "In an analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we did not find a significant association between PPI use and ischemic stroke, after accounting for indications for PPI use. Prior reports of an increased risk of stroke may be due to residual confounding related to chronic conditions associated with PPI use."