DALLAS: Older people treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are typically used for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcers, may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to the results of a German study.
The study involved tracking the neuropsychological health and medical history of 73,679 patients between 2004 and 2011, who were aged 75 or over. All patients were all free from dementia at the start of the study.
Researchers discovered that the patients who used PPIs regularly — at least one prescription per quarter in an 18-month period – had a 44% higher risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.44 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36–1.52]; P<0.001), than patients not prescribed PPIs. The occurrence of incident dementia with PPIs was slightly higher in male patients (HR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.33–1.74]) rather than female patients (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.33–1.51]). Other factors which increased dementia risk were: depression (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.24–1.32]) and stroke (HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.29–1.46). Age per year also had a “considerable effect” on risk of dementia (HR, 1.083 [95% CI, 1.081–1.085])