Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, are common medicines used to treat heartburn and acid reflux. If you’ve taken drugs like Prilosec, Nexium, or Prevacid, then you’ve used a PPI.
These medications lower the amount of acid in the stomach, making people feel better when they have problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease, also called GERD.
In the United States, about 1 out of every 10 adults takes PPIs regularly, and many people stay on them for a long time. But a new study from the University of California San Diego has found that taking PPIs for a long time might hurt the kidneys.
The researchers used information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System, which has over 10 million reports from people about problems they had with different drugs.
They looked at about 43,000 people who only used PPIs and compared them to 8,000 people who used another type of heartburn drug called histamine-2 receptor blockers, such as Zantac or Pepcid.
The results were surprising and worrying. About 5.6% of the people who took PPIs had kidney problems. But only 0.7% of those who took the other kind of medicine had the same issue. The risk of having chronic kidney disease was almost 30 times higher in the PPI group.
Besides chronic kidney disease, people who took PPIs also had more reports of sudden kidney problems, kidney failure, and general kidney trouble. They also had more problems with their electrolyte levels. Electrolytes help muscles, nerves, and organs work properly, so these changes could cause other health problems.
This new study supports earlier research that also warned about PPI use. Back in 2017, the same research team found that PPIs could increase the chance of having liver disease.
While PPIs can help with stomach problems, this new study shows they may not be safe for everyone—especially when used for a long time.
Doctors are now being told to think carefully before prescribing these drugs. If someone has only mild symptoms, or if another medicine would work just as well with fewer risks, it might be better to choose the safer option.
People who already take PPIs should not stop taking them on their own. Instead, they should talk to their doctor to see if they still need the drug. Sometimes, making simple changes—like eating smaller meals, avoiding spicy food, or quitting smoking—can help with heartburn and reduce the need for medication.
The study was done by Ruben Abagyan and his team and was published in the journal Scientific Reports. It reminds us that even popular and helpful medicines can have hidden dangers, and it’s important to keep learning about their long-term effects.
In summary, while PPIs are useful for treating heartburn, they may cause serious kidney problems if used too long. Knowing the risks can help people make safer choices and protect their health.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
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