Important Article in the Raleigh Newspaper

[Guest guest]

This is an article we found in our newspaper that you all may be interested

in.

" Heartburn Drugs Not Good for Hips "

(by Carla K )

" Chicago - Taking such popular heartburn drugs as Nexium, Prevacid or

Prilosec for a year or more can raise the risk of a broken hip markedly in

people over 50, a large study in Britain found.

The study raised questions about the safety of some of the most widely used

and heavily promoted drugs on the market. The researchers speculated that

when the drugs reduce stomach acid, they also make it more difficult for the

body to absorb bone-building calcium. That can lead to weaker bones and

fractures.....Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec are members of a class of drugs

known as proton pump inhibitors. The study found a similar but smaller risk

of hip fractures for another class of acid-fighting drugs called H2 blockers

Those drugs include Tagamet and Pepcid. The study, published in today's

Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at medical records of

more than 145,000 patients in England. The average age of the patients was

77. The patients who used proton pump inhibitors for more than a year had a

44 percent higher risk of hip fractures than nonusers "

Just something to consider. Dr R? Any comments?

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