Regular use of proton pump inhibitors is associated with an increased hip fracture risk - particularly in smokers - concludes a large US study.
The prospective cohort study looked at data from 79,899 postmenopausal women on their use of PPIs between 2000 and 2008, and found those who regularly used PPIs for at least two years the risk was 35% higher than non-users, even when adjusted for age.
The absolute risk of hip fracture was 2.02 events per 1000 person years in regular PPI users, compared with 1.51 events in non-users. PPI use in current or former smokers was associated with a 51% increase in fracture risk, while there was no association between PPI use and fracture risk in women who had never smoked.
Study lead Dr Hamed Khalili, clinical research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston said that the data highlighted the importance of ‘carefully evaluating the need for long term continuous use of PPIs, particularly among individuals with a history of smoking.'
BMJ, 2012
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e372
