Study Suggests Link Between Proton Pump Inhibitor and Dementia

by | Jun 16, 2016 | 2016, Alzheimer's Disease, Brain Health, Cognitive Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study participants who took proton pump inhibitors had a significant 44% increased risk of developing dementia. 

Alzheimers

Proton pump inhibitors are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States (1, 2) for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcers (3, 4). While common side effects of proton pump inhibitors include headache, nausea, and vomiting, less common but more severe side effects include fractures, lowering magnesium blood levels, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (5), and kidney problems (6).

Now a new study in Germany (7) suggests that dementia may be another side effect of proton pump inhibitor use. Previous research has shown proton pump inhibitor use to lower vitamin B12 levels (8) which may decrease mental health (9). Building on these findings, researchers analyzed detailed data from 73,679 subjects (19,339 men, 54,340 women) aged 76 to 88 who were initially free of dementia and were participating in the AgeCoDe study (10).

Among the study subjects, 2,950 subjects were taking proton pump inhibitors and 70,729 were not. During the course of the study, 29,510 subjects were diagnosed with dementia. Over an average of 5.4 years of follow-up (with doctor visits every 12-18 months), those taking proton pump inhibitors “regularly” (defined as receiving at least 1 prescription for a proton pump inhibitor every 3-4 months between check-ups) had a 44% increased risk of dementia compared to those not taking proton pump inhibitor medication (p < 0.001).

When suggesting how proton pump inhibitors may contribute to dementia, the researchers cite the ability of these medications to cross the blood-brain barrier (11). This enables them to interact with brain enzymes which may increase levels of a protein called A-beta (12) which is “a major pathological sign of dementia in the course of Alzheimer disease” (13).

The researchers concluded that “proton pump inhibitor use is associated with an increased risk of incident dementia”, that “the avoidance of proton pump inhibitor medication may contribute to the prevention of dementia” but that “To evaluate and establish direct cause and effect relationships between proton pump inhibitor use and incident dementia in the elderly, randomized, prospective clinical trials are needed.”

Source: Gomm et al 2016. Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors With Risk of Dementia A Pharmacoepidemiological Claims Data Analysis. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(4):410-416. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4791. Published online February 15, 2016.

© 2016 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. 

Posted June 16, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

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