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| | | ![]() Long-Term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Increases Fracture Risk OTTAWA, Ontario -- August 12, 2008 -- Patients who use proton pump inhibitors for 7 or more years to treat reflux, peptic ulcers, and other conditions are at greater risk of osteoporosis-related fractures, according to this large observational study of 15,792 patients published in Canadian Medical Association Journal. Researchers discovered that there is specifically an increased risk of hip fracture after 5 years of continuous exposure and an increased risk of any fracture after 7 years continuous exposure. Short-term exposure did not appear to increase risk of fractures. The study observed people aged 50 years and older who had hip, spinal, or wrist fractures and were matched by a control group with no history of hip, spinal, or wrist fractures. Because the use of proton pump inhibitors has increased in recent years and use is often of indefinite duration, "these factors may promote the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, leaving patients at increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures," the authors wrote. Three large administrative database studies have found proton pump inhibitors to increase fracture risk. Physicians are cautioned to weigh the risks and benefits of the long-term use of these drugs for their patients.
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal
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