Allopathic Genocide  Cleansing  Food combining

[Of course, the pill docs are only allowed to treat symptoms, that is where the money is.]

Indigestion pills 'may increase the risk of an early death': People who use one type of treatment for heartburn are 25% more likely to die within six years

 

By Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

 

PUBLISHED: 01:04, 4 July 2017

Indigestion pills taken daily by millions of Britons may raise the risk of an early death, research suggests.

Scientists found that people who take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), common drugs used to treat heartburn, are 25 per cent more likely to die in the next six years than those who use an alternative treatment, called H2 blockers.

Experts said use of the drugs should be restricted in light of the new evidence, which was based on records from six million people.

More than five million bottles and packets are prescribed each year in England to treat gastroesophageal reflux, a severe form of heartburn.

Share

WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS BRANDS? 

Brands available in the UK include:

Brands available in the US include:

WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF H2 BLOCKERS BRANDS? 

Brands available in the UK include:

Brands available in the US include:

  Many more Britons buy PPIs - which include omeprazole and lansoprazole - over the counter of pharmacies without a prescription, or in corner shops and supermarkets.

The drugs are not recommended for long-term use, but doctors fear that because they are so readily available, people may take them without medical supervision for years.

The new research, by US experts at the Veterans Affairs Saint Louis Healthcare System and Washington University in Missouri, used records from army veterans to examine the risks of taking the drugs.

The researchers found people who had used the medicines were on average 25 per cent more likely to die than those who took H2 blockers during the study period, which lasted six years.

And they were 23 per cent more likely to die than people who took neither drug.

The risks were particularly strong among people who took the drugs for longer periods.

For those who took them consistently for more than six months the risk of death rose to 31 per cent, and if people took them for more than a year the risk jumped again to 51 per cent.

The scientists, whose work is published in the BMJ Open journal, said they do not know exactly why this might be - and indeed could not prove that the drugs were actually causing the increased risk of death.

But they said recent research has indicated a link between proton pump inhibitors chronic kidney disease, dementia and osteoporosis.

Other research has linked the drugs to the ageing of cells and tissue - a problem known as oxidative stress.

The scientists stressed that patients should continue to use the drugs if their doctor prescribes them - but should steer clear if they are not definitely needed.

They wrote: 'Although our results should not deter prescription and use of PPIs where medically indicated, they may be used to encourage and promote pharmacovigilance [monitoring the side-effects of licensed drugs] and [they] emphasise the need to exercise judicious use of PPIs and limit use and duration of therapy to instances where there is a clear medical indication and where benefit outweighs potential risk.'

The authors found many people in the study were taking the drugs even though their symptoms did not warrant it.

These people were actually at a slightly higher risk of death than those people who actually needed the drugs.

The findings are supported by a German study of 74,000 people, published in the journal JAMA Neurology in February 2016, which suggested that elderly people who used PPIs at least once every three months had a 44 percent increased risk of dementia compared with those who did not take the drugs.

And a Stanford study of three million people, published in July 2015, suggested that people who took PPIs were 16 to 21 per cent more likely to have a heart attack.

The study only looked at PPIs, and the possible risk does not extend to other indigestion treatments such as antacid treatments which neutralise excess stomach acid.

John Smith, chief executive of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, the trade association representing manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines, said: 'These findings should be treated with considerable caution.

'This is an observational study - its authors acknowledge that no firm conclusions should be made regarding cause and effect.

'The study only looked at prescription use of PPIs, which are typically used at higher doses and for longer durations.

'Additionally, the study had several limitations, including the fact that PPI users involved in the study were of an advanced age and may have already had other underlying health conditions, the researchers were unable to obtain information about their causes of death.

'Over-the-counter PPIs provide an important health benefit.

'They are an effective and appropriately safe way to provide short-term relief from heartburn and indigestion, if used in accordance with the clear on-pack instructions and the patient information leaflet inside.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4663074/Indigestion-pills-increase-risk-early-death.html#ixzz4mAqHZuZ5 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook