Higher risk of hip fractures in users of heartburn reducers over age fifty

Christen Wiese

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A large study in Britain has found that using heartburn reducers , such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid, for over a year can increase the risk of hip fractures of people over 50. The researchers theorized that the acid reducing agents make it more difficult to absorb calcium in the body. Therefore weakening bones and making risk of bone fractures higher.

Nexiun, Prilosec and Prevacid are in a group of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. Tagamet and Pepcid, also acid-reducers, are in a group called H2 blockers and also have a similar but smaller risk.
People over 50 who use proton pump inhibitors for more than a year have a 44 percent higher risk of hip fractures. The risk was 2 ½ times greater for the group for the patients that took a high dose for over a year in comparison to nonusers. Men in the study had a higher incidence of hip fracture and it is theorized this could be because women in this age range would be taking calcium for osteoporosis.
Did the drug companies that manufacture these drugs do any specific studies before the drug was released on the market, did they come up with any indication that the drug and hip fractures in people over 50 correlate? There are many other questions to be asked regarding this study but if the conclusion is the same after other studies are done this could be an eye opening fact many doctors and patients cannot ignore.