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Heartburn

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Alternative News:

• Time-Varying Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Real-World Analysis from Germany - Drugs Aging 2023 May 13 - "Our large study supports existing evidence that PPI use is related to an increased risk of dementia."
• Cutting Dietary Simple Sugars May Relieve GERD Symptoms - Science Daily, 7/11/22 - "There was a significant effect of diet on the two primary outcomes, total esophageal acid exposure time, and total number of reflux episodes, as measured by 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring. The change in total acid exposure time was significantly greater for the high total/low simple group compared with the high total/high simple group."
• Berberine Alleviates Gastroesophageal Reflux-Induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness in a Transient Receptor Potential A1-Dependent Manner - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022 May 9 - "gastroesophageal reflux-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (GERAHR) ... Berberine, especially at the middle dose tested (MB, 150 mg/kg), significantly improved lung function, suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration, and protected inflammation-driven tissue damage in the lung, trachea, esophagus, and nerve tissues in GERAHR guinea pigs. MB reduced the expression of TRPA1, SP, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in evaluated organs and tissues. Meanwhile, the MB-mediated protective effects were attenuated by simultaneous TRPA1 activation ... Mechanistically, berberine was found to suppress GERAHR-induced upregulation of TRPA1, SP, and TNF-α in many tissues. Our study has highlighted the potential therapeutic value of berberine for the treatment of GERAHR" - See berberine at Amazon.com.
• Treating Reflux With Diet - NYT, 9/7/17 - "85 patients with an average age of 60 treated with the P.P.I.s Nexium and Dexilant, and 99 treated with alkaline water and the Mediterranean diet, a regimen low in meat and dairy, and rich in olive oil, fish, beans, fruits and vegetables ... In the P.P.I. group, 54 percent achieved a clinically significant six-point reduction on the index, compared with 63 percent for the diet cohort" - See alkaline water pitchers at Amazon.com.
• Proton Pump Inhibitors and Hypomagnesemia in the General Population - Medscape, 12/14/15 - "PPI use was associated with increased risk of hypomagnesemia (n = 36; OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.36–2.93) compared to no use" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• The Association Between Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Long-Term Use of Acid Lowering Agents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Intern Med J. 2015 Jan 13 - "Chronic use of ALAs is a risk factor for developing vitamin B12 deficiency. Judicious prescribing of ALAs and regular monitoring of vitamin B12 in patients who are inevitably on long-term ALA therapy are recommended" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.
• PPI and Diuretic Up Risk for Hypomagnesemia Hospitalization - Medscape, 9/30/14 - "Elderly patients taking proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) were at a 43% increased risk of being hospitalized with hypomagnesemia ... When the investigators stratified patients according to diuretic use, they found that those patients receiving both a PPI and a diuretic had a 73% increased risk for hospitalization (95% CI, 1.11 - 2.70) compared with those receiving neither drug" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Hypomagnesemia Induced by Proton Pump Inhibition - Medscape, 8/29/12 - "PPI-induced hypomagnesaemia (PPIH) ... Proper identification and treatment of PPIH therefore mainly rests on three pillars: First, serum magnesium monitoring on a regular basis. In event of existing hypomagnesaemia discontinuation of PPIs should result in a rapid normalisation, which may be supported by additional magnesium and calcium supplementation.[60] This step is crucial to exclude other causes of hypomagnesaemia. Second, regular determination of serum magnesium (and concomitant other electrolytes) should be done to monitor the course of recovery. This should be accompanied by urinary magnesium measurements to assure renal magnesium retention. Third, patients with PPIH have the chance to escape hypomagnesaemia by alternative acid suppressants. Therefore, switching to H2RA should be attempted.[45] In cases of insufficient relief from acid related complains under H2RA, tapered or intermittent regimes including PPIs might be helpful. Also here, urinary magnesium monitoring is of benefit as it declines prior to the serum magnesium as an early indication.[61] In most cases reviewed here, supplementation with electrolytes could be stopped after normal serum magnesium was obtained"
• Orally administered L-arginine and glycine are highly effective against acid reflux esophagitis in rats - Med Sci Monit. 2011 Dec 22;18(1):BR9-15 - "L-alanine and L-glutamine exert a deleterious effect on the esophagitis, while L-arginine and glycine are highly protective" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com and l-glycine products at iHerb.
• Effect of alpha-tocopherol, N-acetylcysteine and omeprazole on esophageal adenocarcinoma formation in a rat surgical model - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 20 - "oxidative stress subsequent to gastroesophageal reflux is an important driving force of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) formation in the esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) rat model. This study investigated the possible tumor inhibitory effects of 2 antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol (389 and 778 ppm), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 500 and 1,000 ppm), and their combination (389 and 500 ppm, respectively), as well as an antacid therapeutic agent, omeprazole (1,400 ppm) ... alpha-Tocopherol dose-dependently decreased the incidence of EAC (p = 0.03), with 778 ppm alpha-tocopherol reducing the incidence of EAC to 59% (16/27) in comparison with 84% (26/31) in the control group (p = 0.04). Supplementation of alpha-tocopherol also increased the serum concentration of alpha-tocopherol. NAC at 500 and 1,000 ppm did not significantly decrease EAC incidence; however, the combination of alpha-tocopherol 389 ppm and NAC 500 ppm significantly reduced the incidence of EAC to 55% (15/27) (p = 0.02). alpha-Tocopherol alone or in combination with NAC significantly reduced the number of infiltrating cells positively stained for 4-hydroxynonenal. Omeprazole showed only a slight nonsignificant inhibitory effect at the dose given"
• What Quenches Heartburn? - Dr. Weil, 11/10/08
• Putting Heartburn to Bed? - Dr. Weil, 10/14/04
• Natural remedies can tame raging heartburn - Natural Food Merchandiser, 1/04
• Vitamin E May Improve Omeprazole Treatment of Moderate to Severe Erosive Oesophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/11/03
• Chewing Gum May Prevent Heartburn - WebMD, 5/22/03
• Ask Dr. J - Dr. Janson, 4/02 - "Chewing a licorice extract, called deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) can soothe the symptoms of heartburn by coating the mucosa"

Other News:

• Proton Pump Inhibitors, Kidney Damage, and Mortality: An Updated Narrative Review - Adv Ther 2023 May 4 - "Even though PPIs have many clinical uses, they are not without their adverse effects, mimicking achlorhydria. Besides electrolyte abnormalities and vitamin deficiencies, long-term use of PPIs has been linked to acute interstitial nephritis, bone fractures, poor COVID-19 infection outcomes, pneumonia, and possibly an increase in all-cause mortality. The causality between PPI use and increased mortality and disease risk can be questioned since most studies are observational. Confounding variables can greatly affect an observational study and explain the wide-ranging associations with the use of PPIs. Patients on PPIs are generally older, obese, sicker with a higher number of baseline morbidities, and on more medications than the compared PPI non-users. These findings suggest that PPI users are at a higher risk of mortality and complications based on pre-existing conditions"
• Ask a Doctor: Why doesn’t anything work for my heartburn? - Washington Post, 2/27/23 - "For people with rare heartburn that occurs once or twice a month, medications such as TUMS or Pepcid might be enough to alleviate symptoms. These can be taken when you’re feeling symptoms or preemptively if you’re about to order some Nashville hot chicken and want to be prepared for the consequences ... But if you experience heartburn several times a week, it helps to try a heavier hitter, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) such as omeprazole (or Prilosec) or pantoprazole (or Protonix), which blocks the release of acid in the stomach for about 48 hours ... Up to 45 percent of people who take PPIs (approximately 2 percent of Americans), however, still do not get relief, and incorrect use may be one reason ... PPIs should be taken consistently every day, 30 minutes before a meal for them to work. But that crucial piece of advice is frequently overlooked (it’s omitted by 70 percent of primary care physicians — and even 20 percent of gastroenterologists), leading to roughly half of heartburn sufferers taking PPIs at the wrong time."
• Judge Weighs Key Evidence Ahead of First Zantac Cancer Trial -Medscape, 2/17/23 - "Brent Wisner, a lawyer for Goetz and other Zantac plaintiffs, argued that jurors should hear expert testimony about studies that he called "pretty powerful evidence that there is a causal relationship" between consuming Zantac's active ingredient, ranitidine, and cancer" - Oops. That's something else a doctor prescribed in the past.
• Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitor Exposure and Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery - Mayo Clin Proc 2023 Feb - "Discontinuation of PPI prior to operation was associated with a lower odds of AKI development in both cohorts"
• Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Risks of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Dec 27 - "Our data suggested that PPI use was associated with higher risks of CVD events and mortality among patients with T2D. The benefits and risks of PPI use should be carefully balanced among patients with T2D, and monitoring of adverse CVD events during PPI therapy should be enhanced"
• Adults With Chronic Acid Reflux Rarely Get Recommended Test - WebMD, 10/27/22 - "About 20% of people in the United States have GERD, which happens when stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth and stomach. This backflow (acid reflux) can irritate the lining of the esophagus ... About 1 in 10 adults with chronic GERD symptoms will develop Barrett’s esophagus – a condition in which the lining of the esophagus becomes damaged by acid reflux. Barrett's esophagus is associated with a small increased risk of developing cancer of the esophagus"
• Longer Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 5/4/22 - "The risk of diabetes increased from 19% to 56% as treatment duration increased from 8 weeks to more than 2 years, and prolonged treatment was associated with an even higher risk of diabetes in the youngest patients (age 40-65) and those with the most comorbidities"
• New PPI Data Again Link Medication Use to Alzheimer's - Medscape, 4/1/22 - "The odds of developing Alzheimer's disease were significantly higher in current (odds ratio [OR], 1.36; P < .001) and past (OR, 1.11; P < .001) PPI groups than in the control group ... Participants with PPI prescriptions for fewer than 30 days (OR, 1.13; P < .001), 30 to 90 days (OR, 1.18; P < .001), or more than 90 days (OR, 1.26; P < .001) all had higher odds of developing Alzheimer's disease than those in control group. An increased association between the cumulative duration of PPI exposure and the development of Alzheimer's disease was also observed. The odds of developing Alzheimer's disease were higher for users with more than 30 days of exposure than for those with fewer than 30 days"
• Chronic Omeprazole use in the elderly is associated with decreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline - Dig Liver Dis 2021 Dec 20 - "Our database was retrospectively searched for all community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years who newly diagnosed with dementia/cognitive decline (DCD) between January 2002 - December 2012. Receiving ≥11 prescriptions of PPIs/year was categorized as PPI users ... The hazard ratio for occurrence of DCD in PPI users compared to non-users was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81-0.89, P <0.001) in an un-adjusted Cox regression model and 0.83 in a Cox regression model adjusted for age and sex (95% CI: 0.79-0.87, P <0.001). Multivariate Cox regression accounting for background diseases, marital status, and socioeconomic state yielded a hazard ratio of 0.77 ... PPI use wasn't associated with DCD development in chronic PPI users"
• Survival outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer concomitantly receiving proton pump inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors - Int J Cancer 2021 Dec 7 - "Recent evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis adversely affects the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Our objective was to investigate the association between concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and ICIs and poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ... concomitant PPI use was associated with a 28% increased risk of all-cause mortality, compared with non-use (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.28; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.13-1.46). We observed an increased risk when we restricted the analysis to new users of PPI (adjusted HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.25-2.17). Subgroup analysis showed that PPI use was associated with high mortality risk among patients with viral hepatitis (adjusted HR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.54-4.78; pinteraction , 0.048). Our study indicates that PPI use is associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs"
• Common drugs affect our gut microbiome differently, with good and bad impacts on health - Science Daily, 12/9/21 - "In the colon of people who take gastric acid medication, we found relatively high levels of bacteria that are normally only present in the oral cavity. Stomach acid usually kills bacteria from the oral cavity that try to escape to the gut where they do not belong. But this is not the case when you use these gastric acid inhibitors. The observation we have made is important because the presence of oral bacteria in the colon is associated with an increased risk of developing some types of colon cancer"
• Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors With Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Failure - Mayo Clin Proc 2021 Oct;96(10):2540-2549 - "Long-term PPI use was associated with twice the risk of total CVD and HF compared with nonusers. Our findings are in concordance with other research and suggest another reason to be cautious of PPI overuse"
• Proton pump inhibitors may contribute to progression or development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-A sequence symmetry analysis approach - J Clin Pharm Ther 2021 Aug 25 - "Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), used to treat and prevent gastro-oesophageal conditions, are well-tolerated but have been associated with risk including pneumonia. The extent to which initiation of PPIs can contribute to other respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is largely unknown ... long-acting bronchodilators (LABDs) for COPD ... Initiation of omeprazole was associated with a 29% increased risk of initiating a LABD (ASR = 1.29 95% CI 1.22-1.36). Initiation of esomeprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole or lansoprazole was associated with 25%, 15%, 8% and 8% increased risk, respectively"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors and Odds of Cholangiocarcinoma - Medscape, 12/1/20 - "extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC)) ... PPI use was correlated with a significant 61% increased odds of CCA, particularly in the ECC"
  • Cholangiocarcinoma - Wiki - "Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts.[2] Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever.[1] Light colored stool or dark urine may also occur.[4] Other biliary tract cancers include gallbladder cancer and cancer of the ampulla of Vater"
• Stop the PPI to Lower COVID-19 Risk? - Medscape, 8/19/20 - "The odds ratios for COVID-19 associated with daily or twice-daily PPI use vs no use were 2.15 and 3.67, respectively"
• Regular Use of Proton Pump Inhibitor and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women - Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2020;52(3):449-458 - "Regular PPI users had a 44% higher risk of RA as compared with non-regular users (adjusted HR = 1.44; 95%CI, 1.10–1.89). The risk of RA increased with the total duration of PPI use (P-trend = 0.008). Compared with non-regular users, the adjusted HRs were 1.22 (95%CI, 0.93–1.62) for women with >0 to 4 years' use and 1.73 (95% CI, 1.14 to 2.61) for >4 years' use"
• Proton Pump and VEGF Inhibitors Among Adds to FDA Watch List - Medscape, 7/30/20 - "Many proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were listed; for some, more than one potential risk were identified. One group of 10 PPIs was associated with potential risk for the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Another group of 13 PPIs was associated with potential acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP)."
• Omeprazole-induced and Pantoprazole-induced Asymptomatic Hyponatremia - Medscxape, 7/16/20 - "Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder. Thiazides, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, and antiepileptic drugs are well-known causes of hyponatremia ... Hyponatremia is worrisome and awareness of medication-induced hyponatremia, especially due to proton pump inhibitors, is needed. In our case, sequential hyponatremia occurred with two different proton pump inhibitors, suggesting a class effect. Therefore, when syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion due to a proton pump inhibitor is diagnosed, preferably no other medication from the same class is prescribed. When after consideration another proton pump inhibitor is prescribed, serum sodium concentrations should be monitored"
• Popular Heartburn Drugs Linked to Heightened COVID-19 Risk - Time, 7/7/20 - "respondents who said they used proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medications to treat their heartburn had anywhere from two to nearly four times the risk of testing positive for COVID-19, compared to people not using such medications. PPI drugs, which are available by prescription and over the counter, work by turning off the pumps in cells that release acid into the stomach. They can be taken once or twice a day; people taking PPI medications twice a day had a higher risk of infection compared to those taking them once a day."
• The Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Microbiome of the Digestive Tract - Medscape, 3/30/20 - "In the upper gastrointestinal tract, PPI users showed overgrowth of orally derived bacteria, mostly Streptococcaceae (findings based on six independent cohorts with 126 PPI users). In faecal samples, PPIs increased multiple taxa from the orders Bacillales (eg, Staphylococcaceae), Lactobacillales (eg, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Streptococcaceae) and Actinomycetales (eg, Actinomycetaceae, Micrococcaceae), the families Pasteurellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae and the genus Veillonella. Taxa decreased by PPIs include Bifidobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Mollicutes (findings in faecal samples based on 19 independent cohorts with 790 PPI users)"
• Heartburn Drugs Tied to Bone Fractures in Children - NYT, 3/23/20 - "Over all, the use of P.P.I.’s increased the risk for fracture by 11 percent. The drugs were associated with an 8 percent increase in broken bones of the arm, a 19 percent increase in leg fractures, and a 51 percent increase in the small number of other breaks. There was no association with the very few skull and spine fractures."
• Proton Pump Inhibitors Linked to Gastroenteritis - Medscape, 11/27/19 - "they found a significant association between PPI use and acute gastroenteritis (relative risk, 1.81)"
• Study Links Use of PPIs to Fatal Heart, Kidney Disease and Stomach Cancer - DG News, 5/30/19 - "PPI use was associated with deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer. Specifically, 15 per 1,000 of the PPI users died from heart disease, 4 per 1,000 from chronic kidney disease, and 2 per 1,000 from stomach cancer ... Death rates due to cardiovascular disease were 88 among the PPI group and 73 among the H2 blockers group. For stomach cancer, death rates were 6 in the PPI group and 4 in the H2 blockers group. Death rates due to chronic kidney disease were 8 and 4 in the PPI and H2 blocker groups, respectively"
• Risk of Gynecomastia with Users of Proton Pump Inhibitors - Pharmacotherapy. 2019 Mar 13 - "The crude HR for PPI use compared to amoxicillin use was 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.461-1.976). The adjusted HR for the sensitivity analysis was 1.299 (95% CI: 1.146-1.473). The adjusted HR was 1.4795 (95% CI: 1.2431-1.7609) for patients over 50 years old and 1.324 (95% CI: 1.1133-1.5745) for patients 50 years old or younger"
• Proton pump inhibitors use and risk of chronic kidney disease in diabetic patients - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2018 Nov 27 - "DDD (defined daily dose) ... Proton pump inhibitors use is associated with 1.52-fold increased risk of chronic kidney disease in diabetic patients when the dosage is over 180 DDD in one year in Taiwan"
• Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitors and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma - Medscape, 9/13/18 - "The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for HCC associated with PPI use was 2.86"
• Proton Pump Inhibitor and Histamine–2 Receptor Antagonist Use and Risk of Liver Cancer in Two Population–Based Studies - Medscape, 8/2/18 - "ever use of PPIs was associated with increased liver cancer risk (adjusted OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.34, 2.41 and adjusted HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.34, 2.94 respectively)"
• Common Drugs May Be Contributing to Depression - NYT, 6/13/18 - "About 200 prescription drugs can cause depression, and the list includes common medications like proton pump inhibitors (P.P.I.s) used to treat acid reflux, beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure, birth control pills and emergency contraceptives, anticonvulsants like gabapentin, corticosteroids like prednisone and even prescription-strength ibuprofen ... For some drugs, like beta-blockers and interferon, the side effect of depression is well known"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors, Nephropathy, and Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 12/7/17 - "the association between PPI initiation and both worsening nephropathy and increasing 5-year CVD risk has potential clinical implications in type 2 diabetes"
• Heartburn Drugs Tied to Stomach Cancer Risk - NYT, 11/31/17 - "Compared with those who used H2 blockers, those who took P.P.I.s had more than twice the risk for cancer, and the risk increased over time. The study, published in Gut, controlled for smoking, alcohol use, obesity, statin use, hypertension and many other factors ... Even after the eradication of H. pylori, the risk of cancer persists with P.P.Is"
• PPIs Linked to Higher Risk for Death - Medscape, 7/3/17 - "numerous studies have linked the drugs with increased risks, including stroke and inpatient death ... Compared with H2-blocker use (n = 73,335), PPI use (n = 275,977) was associated with a 25% increased risk for death from all causes (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.23 - 1.28), and the risk increased the longer the PPI was taken ... The consistency of study findings in our report and the growing body of evidence in the literature showing a host of adverse events associated with PPI use are compelling ... Patients ideally should not take a PPI indefinitely"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Jun 7 - "Proton pump inhibitors were not associated with greater risk of dementia or of AD, in contrast to recent reports. Study limitations include reliance on self-reported PPI use and lack of dispensing data" - Note:  It contradicts pervious studies.  I'd be interested in who funded the study.  Also, I read two studies a while ago.  One said PPI's reduced growth hormone by 30%.  Another said lower growth hormone levels (IGF-1) was associated with increased Alzheimer's.
• Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors Usage with Risk of Pneumonia in Dementia Patients - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Mar 21 - "PPI usage in dementia patients is associated with an 89% increased risk of pneumonia"
• Community Acquired Pneumonia Incidence Before and After Proton Pump Inhibitor Prescription - Medscape, 12/16/16 - "The adjusted Cox regression showed a risk of community acquired pneumonia 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.55 to 1.79) times higher for patients exposed to PPI than for controls"
• Popular heartburn medication may increase ischemic stroke risk - heart.org, 11/15/16 - "PPIs have been associated with unhealthy vascular function, including heart attacks, kidney disease and dementia ... Researchers determined if the stroke occurred while patients were using 1 of 4 PPIs: omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole (Nexium) ... At the highest dose for these 4 PPI’s, stroke risk increased from 30 percent for lansoprazole (Prevacid) to 94 percent for pantoprazole (Protonix) ... There was no increased risk of stroke associated with another group of acid-reducing medications known as H2 blockers, which include famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac)"
• Persistent Sexual Dysfunction with Finasteride 1 mg Taken for Hair Loss - Pharmacotherapy. 2016 Sep 19 - "persistent sexual dysfunction (PSD) ... The rate of PSD for finasteride 1 mg users and omeprazole users was 37.9 and 15.0 per 1000 person-years, respectively ... The risk of PSD in men who stopped finasteride 1 mg therapy was higher than that for omeprazole users. Patients who stopped finasteride therapy sought physician visits for sexual dysfunction up to 1 year after stopping finasteride" - Both are good to know but I don't get why they're comparing a proton pump inhibitor to a 5α-reductase inhibitor.
• Micronutrient Deficiency Often Unnoticed in PPI Users - Medscape, 10/20/16 - "Although micronutrient deficiency with PPIs is "pretty well recognized, all the data come from observational studies," Dr Yang pointed out. "This can be a problem because long-term users may be different from nonusers. When you observe a lower level of these nutrients in PPI users, it's hard to tell whether it's from the PPI or whether it's just who they are. Without really having that aspect pinned down, it's going to be hard for any guideline to come out and recommend definitively to monitor micronutrients.""
• Research Points to 'Smoking Gun' for PPI Risks - WebMD, 6/8/16 - "What’s been less clear, though, is how these meds might be contributing to so many kinds of ills ... Now researchers working out of Stanford University and Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas think they may have found an important piece of the puzzle: The drugs don’t just turn off acid pumps in the stomach. Instead, the researchers say, PPIs also block the production of acid in every cell in our bodies, an effect that hampers the body’s ability to rid itself of damaged proteins -- the “garbage” that builds up as we age"
• A Comparison of the Gut Microbiome Between Long-term Users and Non-users of Proton Pump Inhibitors - Medscape, 6/7/16 - "Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) ... Long-term PPIs use has an effect on the gut microbiome. The alteration in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes may pre-dispose to the development of CDI"
• Could a Low-Risk Surgery Help Chronic Heartburn? - WebMD, 3/29/16 - "this study found only one death associated with [this surgery] among nearly 9,000 patients ... during the study period of 1997 to 2013 ... Drugs known as proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, can reduce stomach acid production ... But long-term use of such medications has been potentially linked to some serious health conditions, such as dementia ... studies comparing surgery to medication with proton pump inhibitors have found that surgery is superior to medication in aspects of symptom control and acid exposure in the esophagus ... most health insurers will pay for laparoscopic GERD surgery, which costs between $15,000 and $30,000 ... One of the questions patients have is, they don't want to take medications for the rest of their life, but the durability of this surgery is finite and [patients] may need a re-do ... Patients also need to know that occasionally they may need to get placed back on medications despite having the surgery."
• Proton Pump Inhibitors Linked to Dementia - Medscape, 2/15/16 - "These users had a significantly higher risk for dementia compared with those not taking this drug (hazard ratio [HR], 1.44 ... Researchers are not clear on how PPI use might raise dementia risk. Evidence suggests some PPIs may cross the blood–brain barrier and interact with brain enzymes and, in mice, may increase beta amyloid levels in the brain ... Although the current study did not include vitamin B12 levels, other research has linked PPI use to vitamin B12 deficiency, which has been shown to be associated with cognitive decline ... Dr Kuller also pointed to evidence of PPIs possibly increasing both production and degradation of amyloid, at least in animals, and of reduced B12 and other nutrients among PPI users, which could be tied to dementia risk" - Note:  I read somewhere that it lowered IGF-1 (growth hormone) by 10% then in another study, lower IGF-1 was associated with dementia.
• Popular heartburn medication linked to chronic kidney disease - Washington Post, 1/11/16- "When they studied the records of more than 10,000 people treated in community-based settings, the researchers found a 20 percent to 50 percent greater risk of the onset of chronic kidney disease among users of the drugs than those who did not take them. The association also turned up when they examined the records of more than 248,000 people treated in a Pennsylvania hospital system ... The link to kidney disease did not appear when the researchers looked at medications such as Zantac and Pepcid, which combat heartburn in a different way, by blocking histamine production in the cells that line the stomach"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of Periampullary Cancers - a Nested Case-Control Study - Int J Cancer. 2015 Oct 21 - "considerable attention has been focused on long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in relation to increased risk of cancer via stimulation of DNA-damaged cells ... The odds of PPI exposure in patients with periampullary cancers were higher than that of control patients with an adjusted OR of 1.35"
• Heart attack risk increases 16-21% with use of common antacid - Science Daily, 6/10/15 - "Adults who use proton pump inhibitors are between 16 and 21 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than people who don't use the commonly prescribed antacid drugs"
• Proton pump inhibitors decrease diversity in gut microbiome, increase risk for complications - Science Daily, 11/25/14 - "people who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have less diversity among their gut bacteria ... their prolonged use has been associated with iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, hypomagnesemia, osteoporosis-related fractures, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and community-acquired pneumonia"
• Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and Falls and Fractures in Elderly Women: A Prospective Cohort Study - J Bone Miner Res. 2014 May 13 - "Long-term PPI therapy was associated with increased risk of falls and fracture-related hospitalizations; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.17; 95% CI, 1.25-3.77; P = 0.006 and 1.95; 95% CI, 1.20-3.16; P = 0.007 respectively ... Long-term PPI users were also more likely to have low vitamin B12 levels than non-users (50% vs. 21%, P = 0.003)"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors and Functional Decline in Older Adults Discharged From Acute Care Hospitals - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 May 6 - "The relationship between PPI use and functional decline was investigated using logistic regression analysis before and after propensity score matching ... Use of PPIs was significantly associated with functional decline before (odds ratio (OR) = 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-2.60) and after propensity score matching (OR = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.36-4.41)"  - Note:  I predicted that might happen.  Here's a cut and paste from my 4/9/14 newsletter:
  • Insulin-like growth factor-1 and risk of Alzheimer dementia and brain atrophy - Neurology. 2014 Apr 4 - "Mean IGF-1 levels were 144 ± 60 μg/L in generation 1 and 114 ± 37 μg/L in generation 2. We observed 279 cases of incident dementia (230 AD dementia) over a mean follow-up of 7.4 ± 3.1 years. Persons with IGF-1 in the lowest quartile had a 51% greater risk of AD dementia (hazard ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.00; p = 0.004). Among persons without dementia, higher IGF-1 levels were associated with greater total brain volumes (β/SD increment in IGF-1 was 0.55 ± 0.24, p = 0.025; and 0.26 ± 0.06, p < 0.001, for generations 1 and 2, respectively)" - Note:  That raises the question of whether PPI's might increase the odds of Alzheimer's.  See:
    • Relationship between Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and IGF System in Older Subjects - J Nutr Health Aging. 2014;18(4):420-3 - "the use of PPIs remained significantly and negatively associated with IGF-1 levels (β±SE=-19.60±9.83, p=0.045)"
• Proton Pump Inhibitor Use May Not Prevent High-grade Dysplasia and Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma in Barrett's Oesophagus - Medscape, 5/1/14 - "The relative risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma or high-grade dysplasia was 2.2 (0.7–6.7) and 3.4 (95% CI: 1.1–10.5) in long-term low- and high-adherence PPI users respectively ... PPI use may facilitate the formation of carcinogenic bile acids, explaining some of our findings ... increased gastrin production may also influence the scenario"
• Relationship between Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and IGF System in Older Subjects - J Nutr Health Aging. 2014;18(4):420-3 - "the use of PPIs remained significantly and negatively associated with IGF-1 levels (β±SE=-19.60±9.83, p=0.045)"
• Long-term use of common heartburn and ulcer medications linked to vitamin B12 deficiency - Science Daily, 12/10/13 - "Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can increase the risk of dementia, nerve damage, anemia, and other medical complications, some of which may be irreversible. Stomach acid aids in vitamin B12 absorption; suppressing the acids can lead to the health-threatening vitamin deficiency ... Researchers examined the electronic health records (including diagnoses, pharmacy orders, and laboratory results) of 25,956 adult Kaiser Permanente patients diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency in Northern California between January 1997 and June 2011 ... Patients who took PPI medications for more than two years had a 65 percent increase in their risk of B12 deficiency" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.
• Acid Reflux Drug May Cause Heart Disease, Study Suggests  - Science Daily, 7/10/13 - "In human tissue and mouse models, the researchers found PPIs caused the constriction of blood vessels. If taken regularly, PPIs could lead to a variety of cardiovascular problems over time, including hypertension and a weakened heart ... PPIs suppressed the enzyme DDAH, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase. That caused an increase in the blood levels of ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine), an important chemical messenger. They found ADMA in turn suppressed the production of another chemical messenger, nitric oxide, or NO, proven by 1998 Nobel Prize winners Furchgott, Ignarro, and Murad to impact cardiovascular function ... PPIs interfere with the ability of blood vessels to relax ... PPIs have this adverse effect by reducing the ability of human blood vessels to generate nitric oxide. Nitric oxide generated by the lining of the vessel is known to relax, and to protect, arteries and veins"
• Surgery Trumps Proton Pump Inhibitors for Acid Reflux - Medscape, 5/28/13 - "transoral incisionless fundoplication was superior to maximal-dose PPIs in eliminating daily troublesome typical and atypical symptoms in selected patients ... The procedure reconstructs the gastroesophageal valve restoring its competency and re-establishing the barrier to reflux ... We are talking about the total elimination of symptoms at 6 months, not a 50% reduction ... Patients in surgery group underwent fundoplication with the EsophyX2 device ... Nearly three quarters of the surgery group reported being satisfied with their current health condition at 6 months, compared with only 5% of the PPI group"
• New Treatment for Chronic Reflux Disease - Science Daily, 2/22/12 - "The LINX Reflux Management System, manufactured by Minnesota-based Torax Medical, Inc., is like a bracelet made up of magnetic, titanium beads implanted around the end of the esophagus, where the lower esophageal sphincter is located. The lower esophageal sphincter is the valve that prevents reflux, and GERD develops when this valve is weakened ... Implantation of the device is potentially an outpatient procedure that can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes ... More than 9 in 10 patients reported satisfaction with their overall condition after having the procedure, compared to 13 percent before treatment while taking medication ... The most common adverse events experienced with the LINX included difficulty swallowing, pain when swallowing food, chest pain, vomiting, and nausea. It is important to note that patients with LINX will no longer be able to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures"
• Esophageal sphincter device for gastroesophageal reflux disease - N Engl J Med. 2013 Feb 21;368(8):719-27 - "assessed 100 patients ... The primary outcome was achieved in 64% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 54 to 73). For the secondary outcomes, a reduction of 50% or more in the use of proton-pump inhibitors occurred in 93% of patients, and there was improvement of 50% or more in quality-of-life scores in 92%, as compared with scores for patients assessed at baseline while they were not taking proton-pump inhibitors. The most frequent adverse event was dysphagia (in 68% of patients postoperatively, in 11% at 1 year, and in 4% at 3 years). Serious adverse events occurred in six patients, and in six patients the device was removed"
• Upper endoscopy is overused in patients with heartburn, study suggests - Science Daily, 12/3/12
• Modern treatments for GERD effective at achieving long-term remission for most patients, study finds - Science Daily, 5/17/11
• Long-Term PPI Use Associated With Low Magnesium - Medscape, 3/2/11 - "Long-term use of prescription proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be associated with hypomagnesemia, which can in turn cause serious muscle spasms (tetany), arrhythmias, and seizures, but may instead be asymptomatic ... In about 25% of cases reported to and reviewed by the FDA, magnesium supplementation alone was insufficient for correcting hypomagnesemia ... The drugs in question include esomeprazole magnesium (Nexium, AstraZeneca), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant, Takeda), omeprazole (Prilosec, Astra-Zeneca; also available OTC), omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate (Zergerid, AstraZeneca; also available OTC), lansoprazole (Prevacid, Novartis; also available OTC) pantoprazole soidum (Protonix, Wyeth/Pfizer; and generics) rabeprazole sodium (AcipHex, Eisai and Ortho-MacNeil), and esomeprazole magnesium/naproxen (Vimovo, AstraZeneca)" - See Jarrow Formulas, Magnesium Optimizer Citrate at Amazon.com.
• Surgery without incisions for heartburn - Science Daily, 2/14/11 - "The procedure is called the Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication, or TIF, which uses the EsophyX® device and is performed without incisions ... the TIF procedure, on the other hand, is an option for those patients who do not do well on daily medications or those who have concerns about the implications of lifelong pill therapy like cost and side effects ... The TIF procedure recreates the anti-reflux barrier between the esophagus and stomach and is performed trans-orally (through the mouth)," ... TIF can reduce patients' dependency on medications with 80 percent of patients remaining off their daily medications after two years and experiencing an improvement in their quality of life. After the TIF procedure, clinical trials show that many patients can eat and drink foods they avoided for years"
• Risks associated with common acid-suppressing medications documented in series of studies - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "between 53 percent and 69 percent of proton pump inhibitor prescriptions are for inappropriate indications ... Use of proton pump inhibitors appears modestly associated with the risk of total fractures in postmenopausal women ... Daily proton pump inhibitor use is associated with an estimated 74 percent increase in infection with Clostridium difficile" 
• 'Smart pill' test let Dave eat again after 20 years - BBC News, 1/10/10
• Surgeons offering new procedure for acid reflux, GERD - Science Daily, 12/1/09 - "Using the new procedure known as EsophyX TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundaplication), surgeons can repair or reconstruct the valve between the esophagus and stomach, effectively stopping GERD. BMC is the only hospital in New England offering this new treatment"
• Unexpected Consequences Of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use In Reflux Disease - Science Daily, 11/11/09 - "there are many unexpected consequences and side effects from this class of drugs. They can include: increased rates of hip fractures, possibly related to altered calcium absorption; possible but yet unproven altered vitamin B12 and iron absorption, related to alteration of the gastric pH; increased odds of acquiring nosocomial Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea; and increased odds of contracting community-acquired pneumonia"
• Long-term Treatment With Proton Pump Inhibitor Can Increase Weight - Science Daily, 10/23/09
• Popular Stomach Acid Reducer Triples Risk Of Developing Pneumonia, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 9/14/09 - "hospitalized cardiothoracic surgery patients treated with pantoprazole were three times more likely to develop pneumonia"
• Proton Pump Inhibitors Increase Risk Of Heart Attacks For Patients On Common Cardiac Drug, Study Shows - Science Daily, 1/28/09
• Proton Pump Inhibitors Increase Risk Of Bone Fractures, Study Finds - Science Daily, 8/12/08 - "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"
• Common Causes of Acid Reflux Disease - WebMD, 7/10/08
• Benefit Of Surgery For Gastroesophageal Reflux Confirmed - Science Daily, 5/19/08
• Age, Burden, Divorce And Heavy Tea Consumption Are Significant Risk Factors For Erosive Esophagitis - Science Daily, 11/24/07
• Acid Blockers Linked to Mental Decline - WebMD, 8/3/07 - "Long-term use of H2 blockers, including Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac, may increase the risk of mental decline in later life ... Patients had two to two-and-a-half times the odds of having a deficit in their cognitive performance ... by blocking stomach acid, H2 blockers interfere with the absorption of vitamin B-12, which is important for mental function"
• Heartburn drugs tied to hip fracture - MSNBC, 12/26/06 - "The researchers speculated that when the drugs reduce acid in the stomach, they also make it more difficult for the body to absorb bone-building calcium. That can lead to weaker bones and fractures ... The biggest risk was seen in people who took high doses of the drugs for more than a year. That group had a 2½ times greater risk of hip fractures than nonusers"
• FDA Approves New Formulation for Nexium (Esomeprazole Magnesium) - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/06
• Santarus Receives FDA Approval for Zegerid With Magnesium Hydroxide Chewable Tablets - Doctor's Guide, 3/27/06
• Heartburn fuels spike in esophageal cancer - MSNBC, 3/20/06
• Majority of GERD Patients Continue to Use PPIs After Surgery - Medscape, 3/6/06
• Santarus Receives FDA Approval for Zegerid Capsules; First and Only Immediate-Release Proton Pump Inhibitor in Convenient Capsule Form - Doctor's Guide, 2/28/06
• Popular heartburn drugs linked to diarrhea - MSNBC, 12/19/05
• Acid Reflux Linked to Esophageal Cancer? - WebMD, 11/10/05
• Patients With Sleep Disturbances May Have GERD Even Without Heartburn Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 11/7/05
• 'Silent' Nighttime Acid Reflux Symptoms Can Cause Poor Sleep And Sleep Apnea - Science Daily, 10/31/05
• Comparable Time to First and Sustained Symptom Relief with Pantoprazole and Esomeprazole in Patients with GERD - Doctor's Guide, 10/21/05
• Less Invasive Surgery Effective In Treatment Of Reflux Disease - Science Daily, 10/19/05
• Treating Nighttime Heartburn Improves Sleep and Boosts Quality Of Life - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/05
• Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Disease in Elderly Patients Less Typical but More Severe Than in Younger Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/05
• Sleep Disturbance Due to GERD Significantly Affects Work and Leisure Productivity - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/05
• Minimal Benefit for EndoCinch Suturing in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 5/16/05
• Patients Swallow 'Camera-in-a-Pill' To Help Doctors Check For Diseases Of Esophagus - Science Daily, 4/28/05
• Oral Omeprazole May Be Comparable to IV Cimetidine to Prevent Upper GI Bleeding - Medscape, 4/22/05
• FDA Approves Intravenous Formulation for Nexium (Esomeprazole Magnesium) for GERD - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/05
• High-Fiber Diet May Halt Heartburn - WebMD, 1/5/05
• Acid Reflux Drugs or Surgery Stops Cancer of Esophagus Caused by GERD - WebMD, 12/9/04
• Enteryx Procedure Shown to be Effective for Treating GERD - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/04
• Stomach Acid Drugs May Raise Pneumonia Risk - WebMD, 10/26/04
• Stomach Acid Drugs: 5 Questions to Ask - WebMD, 10/26/04
• Superior Relief Gained With Pantoprazole for Nocturnal Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/04
• Enteryx Safe and Efficacious Alternative to Proton Pump Inhibitors for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 9/28/04
• FDA Approves New Dosing Options for Prevacid (Lansoprazole) SoluTab Orally Disintegrating Tablets - Doctor's Guide, 7/6/04
• Stretta Procedure Found to Be Highly Effective in Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Obese Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/2/04
• Bowel Drug May Help Some GERD Sufferers - WebMD, 5/21/04
• Enteryx Procedure Shows Safety and Ongoing Relief of Acid Reflux at 24-Months - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/04
• Tegaserod (Zelnorm) Improved Esophageal Pain and Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Functional Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/04
• FDA Approves New Formulation for Proton Pump Inhibitor Protonix (Pantoprazole) I.V. - Doctor's Guide, 4/13/04
• FDA Approves New Dosage Strength of Zantac (Ranitidine) EFFERdose Tablets - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/04
• Esomeprazole Most Effective for Gastric Acid Control - Medscape, 12/18/03
• Dietary Advice for Patients With GERD - Medscape, 12/9/03
• Daily Maintenance Esomeprazole Provides Better Quality of Life Than On-Demand Treatment in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/03
• Nexium (Esomeprazole) Optimal Treatment for Reflux Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/03 - "Nexium® was shown to provide more effective healing of erosive esophagitis and faster symptom control than omeprazole and lansoprazole.,, Nexium® ranks better than all PPIs in the area of acid control"
• Rabeprazole On Demand As Effective As Daily Treatment for Gastro-oesophageal Reflux - Doctor's Guide, 11/10/03
• Erosive Oesophagitis Treated Equally Effectively With Esomeprazole as Intravenous Injection, Infusion and Oral Medication - Doctor's Guide, 11/7/03
• Enteryx Implantation Provides Long-Term Relief From GORD - Doctor's Guide, 11/7/03
• Rabeprazole Provides More Rapid Heartburn Relief Than Omeprazole in Patients With Reflux Oesophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/03 - Note:  Rabeprazole is Aciphex(R), oesophagitis is Prilosec(R)
• Esomeprazole Provides Longer and Better Intragastric Acid Control Than Lansoprazole - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/03 - "A Swiss study has shown that esomeprazole 40 mg provides longer and better intragastric acid control than any of a 15-60 mg range of doses of lansoprazole" - Note: Esomeprazole is the brand name Nexium and lansoprazole is Prevacid.
• Rabeprazole 20 mg Equivalent to Omeprazole 20 Mg in Healing Reflux Oesophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/03
• Ultrathin Scope Well-Tolerated for Office-Based Oesophageal Gastroduodenoscopy - Doctor's Guide, 10/14/03
• Are GERD and Sleep Apnea Related? - WebMD, 10/13/03
• Baclofen Helpful in GERD Refractory to Proton Pump Inhibitors - Medscape, 10/2/03
• FDA Approves Prescription Strength Pepcid AC (famotidine 20 mg) for Over-The-Counter Treatment of Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 9/25/03
• Acid-Related Disorders - Medscape, 9/9/03
• Distinguishing GERD From Peptic Ulcer Disease - Medscape, 9/2/03
• Medications That Exacerbate GERD - Medscape, 8/27/03
• Posterior Partial Fundoplication Better for Gastroesophageal Reflux - Medscape, 8/8/03
• Obesity Strong Risk Factor For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Oestrogen Also Plays Role - Doctor's Guide, 7/2/03
• Weight Loss Helps GERD - WebMD, 7/2/03
• Acid-Related Disorders Journal Scan - Medscape, 6/03
• FDA Approves Prilosec (Omeprazole) for Over-The-Counter Sale - Doctor's Guide, 6/23/03
• FDA approves over-the-counter Prilosec - USA Today, 6/20/03 - "Heartburn sufferers soon won't need a prescription to buy the popular remedy Prilosec, better known in TV ads as "the purple pill.""
• Esomeprazole Reduces Intragastric Acid More Effectively than Other PPIs - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/03
• Eating Food Too Fast Speeds Acid Reflux - WebMD, 5/27/03
• Erosive Oesophagitis and Endoscopy-Negative Reflux Disease Are Variations of Same Condition - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/03
• Enteryx Procedure Effective for Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Community Setting - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/03
• New Endoscopic Device Improves Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/03
• Dental Erosions Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Often Undiagnosed - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/03
• IV And Oral Lansoprazole Can be Safely Substituted - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/03
• Barium Studies Should Be First Step In Diagnosing Complications From Reflux Disease Surgery - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/03
• Treatment With Lioresal Relieves Acid Reflux - WebMD, 4/18/03
• Radiofrequency Energy Effective in GERD - Medscape, 4/17/03
• Shorter Postprandial Analysis Effectively Streamlines Ambulatory 24-Hour pH Test in Diagnosing Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 4/3/03
• Treating GERD in the Patient With H pylori and Gastritis - Medscape, 3/13/03
• Lansoprazole Effectively Relieves Symptoms in Adolescents with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/03
• Acid Reflux Drugs or Surgery Stops Cancer of Esophagus Caused by GERD - WebMD, 3/13/03
• Traditional Radiography Effective for Evaluation of Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/5/03
• Pantoprazole Maintenance Therapy Effective in Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and Gastric Acid Hypersecretion - Doctor's Guide, 3/5/03
• Lansoprazole Effective for Children with Erosive Esophagitis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/5/03
• The Stretta Procedure Effective In Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/3/03
• Enteryx Implantation Eliminates Proton Pump Inhibitors In Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/3/03
• Enteryx Implant Helpful in GERD - Medscape, 2/24/03
• Laparoscopic Surgery For Reflux Is Safe - Doctor's Guide, 2/21/03
• Heartburn Procedure Strengthens Food Pipe - NBCSanDiego.com, 2/19/03
• Rabeprazole Equals Omeprazole in Five Year Treatment of Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/03
• Intravenous Pantoprazole Rapidly Lowers Gastric pH - Doctor's Guide, 2/4/03
• Oral Pantoprazole Provides Gastric Acid Control in Paediatric Reflux Oesophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 2/4/03
• FDA Panel Backs Reflux Disease Implant - WebMD, 1/21/03
• Sleep Apnea Treatment Eases GERD - WebMD, 1/14/03
• Endocinch Device Safe, Effective in GERD - Medscape, 1/6/03
• Some Patients with Uncomplicated GERD Can Be Switched Safely to Ranitidine - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/02
• New GERD Treatment [Gatekeeper Reflux Repair System] Tested - WebMD, 10/28/02
• National Survey Shows Primary Care Physicians Unclear on Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders - Doctor's Guide, 10/25/02
• Pantoprazole Found Longer Lasting than Omeprazole - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/02 - "pantoprazole (Protonix, by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) inhibited gastric acid output throughout the 24-hour study, compared to 15 hours for omeprazole (Prilosec, by AstraZeneca)"
• Jejunal Interposition Helps Prevent Reflux Gastritis - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/02
• Acid Reflux Treatment Is Tested - Intelihealth, 9/16/02
• Endoscopic Gastroplication Appears Less Effective Than Laparoscopic Fundoplication - Doctor's Guide, 9/5/02
• Pantoprazole Effective In Treating Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 8/30/02
• Severe Symptoms Common in Childhood Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 8/19/02
• Endoscopy In Childhood Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Needed Only When Severe - Doctor's Guide, 8/5/02
• TAP Pharmaceutical Products Receives FDA Approval for Pediatric Labeling Of Prevacid (Lansoprazole) - Doctor's Guide, 8/5/02
• Combination Approach Best Diagnoses Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/02
• Gastric Bypass May Be Best for Obese Patients With GERD - Medscape, 7/2/02
• Heartburn Drug [Prevacid] Can Let Some Heart Patients Take Aspirin - Intelihealth, 6/26/02
• High Cost Of Waiting Too Long - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/02 - "Not only does the reflux of gastric acid cause burning pain, but the soft tissue lining the esophagus may also be damaged. About one third of those with GERD will develop open sores of the esophagus, a condition known as esophagitis. A smaller group of sufferers may go on to develop Barrett's esophagus, a more serious complication by which the esophageal lining hardens and thickens. There is evidence to show that people with Barrett's esophagus have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer"
• Gatekeeper Reflux Repair System May Be Alternative To Drugs, Surgery For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/02
• Catheter-Free pH-System Effective for Esophageal pH Monitoring - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/02
• Prevacid (Lansoprazole) Is Highly Effective in Maintenance of Healed Erosive Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/02
• Prilosec (Omeprazole) Plus Calcium Carbonate Decreases Calcium Absorption In Elderly Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/14/02
• Omeprazole Does not Affect Bone Mineral Density - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/02
• Heartburn Surgery Gives Relief, Not Cure - WebMD, 4/15/02
• Higher Prevalence Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome In Patients With Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 4/11/02
• Chronic Cough In Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Not Always Caused By Acid - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/02
• Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux in Asthmatic Children - Doctor's Guide, 4/3/02
• Chewable Antacids Better Than Swallowed Tablets For Controlling Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 3/19/02
• Stretta Procedure for GERD Proves Successful After Three to Six Months - Doctor's Guide, 3/15/02
• Dividing Short Gastric Vessels During Reflux Surgery Provides No Improvement in Outcome - Doctor's Guide, 3/4/02
• Nexium (Esomeprazole) Achieves Greater Healing, Higher Remission Rates than Prevacid (Lansoprazole) in GERD-Related Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 2/28/02 - "77 percent of patients who receive acute (40 mg once daily) and maintenance (20 mg once daily) therapy with Nexium are successfully in remission six months later, compared with 66 percent of patients receiving lansoprazole (30mg once daily, then 15 mg once daily) (4). Among patients with more severe initial damage (LA grades C or D), the difference between the two drugs is even greater; 65 percent of Nexium patients are in remission after six months compared with 43 percent of patients receiving lansoprazole"
• Lansoprazole Highly Effective In Healing Erosive Esophatigitis - Doctor's Guide, 2/28/02 - "the percentages of healed patients after an eight-week treatment cycle for lansoprazole 30 mg were 91.4 percent and for esomeprazole 40 mg were 89.1 percent. The percentages of heartburn-free patients (day or night) after one day, three days, and one week of treatment for lansoprazole were 34.5 percent, 27.3 percent, 23.1 percent, respectively and for esomeprazole were 27.3 percent, 22.3 percent, 18.7 percent, respectively"
• Infant Heartburn Remedies Don't Work - WebMD, 2/27/02
• FDA Approves Aciphex (Rabeprazole) for Symptomatic Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 2/15/02
• Reflux More Likely To Stem From Inheritance Than From Environmental Factors - Doctor's Guide, 1/24/02
• Prevacid (lansoprazole) Proton Pump Inhibitor Now Available in US As Oral Suspension - Doctor's Guide, 1/14/02
• Nexium Found to Be Well-Tolerated, Efficacious in Maintaining Healed Erosive Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 1/3/02
• Long-term Lansoprazole for Esophagitis Effective in H pylori-positive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 12/28/01
• Proton Pump Inhibitors Mask Diagnosis Of Gastrinoma - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/01
• Prevacid (Lansoprazole) Relieves Heartburn Faster Than Omeprazole In Erosive Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 12/14/01
• More Reasons Why Proton Pump Inhibitors Should be First-line Therapy for Dyspepsia - Doctor's Guide, 10/29/01
• Injections Into Lower Esophageal Sphincter Minimally Invasive Treatment For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/01
• Duodenal Fat Speeds Up Heartburn In Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/01
• Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication Posts 88 Percent GERD Cure Rate at Five Years - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/01
• Protonix (Pantoprazole) Provides Rapid/Effective Heartburn Relief - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/01
• Could Ulcer Treatment Improve Acid-Reflux Symptoms? - WebMD, 5/31/01 - "using antibiotics to eradicate ulcer-causing germs from the gut may also prolong relief from acid-reflux disease symptoms"
• Handling Hoarseness With Heartburn Medication, Prevacid Relieves Laryngitis, Indicates Some Cases May Be Due to Acid Reflux - WebMD, 5/24/01
• Anti-Nausea Agents Blocks Chocolate-Induced Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/01
• Men Twice as Likely as Women to Have Severe Erosive Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/01
• Esomeprazole Provides More Effective Intragastric Acid Control Than All Other Proton Pump Inhibitors - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/01
• For Acid-Reflux Sufferers, News You Can Stomach, New Procedure Helps Some Skip Surgery When Drugs Don't Work - WebMD, 5/21/01 - "a new outpatient procedure [called the Stretta procedure] might help them skip surgery ... "What we do is deliver radiofrequency energy to the ... lower portion of the esophagus at its junction with the stomach"
• Protonix Intravenous (Pantoprazole Sodium) For Acid Reflux Available In US - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/01
• Surgery Unlikely to Douse Fires That Fuel Heartburn, Over Time, Medicine a Better Option for Reflux Disease - WebMD, 5/9/01
• Study Suggests Heartburn Surgery Doesn't Stop Need For Medication - Intelihealth, 5/8/01
• FDA Approves Protonix (Pantoprazole) For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/23/01 - "for short-term treatment (seven to 10 days) of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as an alternative to oral therapy in patients who are unable to continue taking Protonix® (pantoprazole sodium) Delayed-Release Tablets:"
• FDA Approves Nexium (Esomeprazole Magnesium) For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Doctor's Guide, 2/21/01
• Cancer Concerns About Heartburn - Intelihealth, 2/21/01 - "the risk of developing a certain type of esophageal cancer — called esophageal adenocarcinoma — is more than seven times higher among people who regularly suffer heartburn"
• Endoscopic Suturing Promising For Chronic Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 10/25/00
• Advisory Committee Confirms Over-The-Counter Safety And Efficacy Of Prilosec (Omeprazole) For Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/00
• Lansoprazole Provides Faster Heartburn Relief From Erosive Esophagitis Than Does Omeprazole - Doctor's Guide, 10/19/00
• Esomeprazole (Nexium) Resolves Heartburn In Symptomatic GERD - Doctor's Guide, 10/18/00
• FDA Approves Pepcid Complete (Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Hydroxide) For Heartburn And Acid Indigestion - Doctor's Guide, 10/17/00
• Esomeprazole Provides Impressive Acid Control - Doctor's Guide, 10/17/00
• Aciphex (Rabeprazole Sodium) Provides Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Relief After One Day - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/00
• Americans Waking Up to Nighttime Heartburn - WebMD, 8/24/00
• Lansoprazole Safe And Effective For Adolescents With Reflux - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/00
• Could Your Prescription Contribute to Heartburn? - WebMD, 7/31/00
• Rabeprazole As Effective As Omeprazole In Preventing Relapse Of Recurrent Erosive GERD - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/00
• One Week Of Nexium (Esomeprazole) As Effective As Four Week Treatment Of Omeprazole For H. Pylori - Doctor's Guide, 5/24/00
• Nexium (Esomeprazole) Promotes Greater Healing Than Omeprazole For Erosive Esophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/00
• Chronic Heartburn, Nausea in Kids Rarely Serious - WebMD, 4/25/00
• New Heartburn Fix Targets The Cause - Intelihealth, 4/24/00
• Popular Heartburn Drug Continues to Cause Deaths - WebMD, 4/13/00
• When Babies Get Heartburn, Is A Common Drug Safe? - Intelihealth, 2/8/00
• Prescribing Information Revised For GERD Treatment, Propulsid - Doctor's Guide, 1/24/00
• Pantoprazole Better Than Ranitidine For Preventing Erosive Esophagitis Relapse - Doctor's Guide, 10/21/99
• New Treatment Available In U.S. For GERD - Doctor's Guide, 10/15/99
• Pantoprazole Heals Erosive Esophagitis, Relieves Symptoms Of GERD - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/99
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Not Related To H. Pylori - Doctor's Guide, 7/14/99
• Cutting Reflux At The Source - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/99
• Step Up Out Of Step For Heartburn, Research Suggests - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/99
• Heartburn Medicines Work Best When Taken With Breakfast - Doctor's Guide, 10/13/98
• FDA Clears TAP’s Prevacid For GERD - Doctor's Guide, 4/13/98
• Patients Ignoring Potentially Serious Consequences Of Chronic Heartburn - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/97
• Heartburn Symptoms Persist After Surgery For Severe Reflux - Doctor's Guide, 11/3/97
• 'The Heartburn Experts' Personnally Choose Antacids Over H2-Blockers - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/96