FDA Warns of Fracture Risk From Acid Reflux Drugs
PPI
Antacids Linked to Hip, Wrist, and Spine Fracture
By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
May 25, 2010 -- Popular PPI antacids
-- Aciphex, Dexilant, Nexium, Prevacid,
Prilosec, Protonix, Vimovo, and Zegerid
-- raise the risk of bone fracture, especially when used for a year or more or
at high doses, the FDA warns.
The warning comes after U.S. and
Canadian researchers linked the use of PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) to
fracture risk in middle-aged adults. Another U.S. study suggests that the
drugs may also increase risk of
infection with C. difficile, a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea.
"There
is a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine if you
take certain drugs for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers," the FDA today
warned consumers.
The action follows FDA review of six
studies that link PPIs to fractures, although the studies do not definitively
prove that PPIs are the cause of the fractures seen in the studies.
Most of the
increased fracture risk is seen in people over age 50.
The federal agency will now require
the warning to be added to the package labels of both the prescription and
nonprescription versions of the drugs.
To read more about this increasing health concern and how it applies to you, click here
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