One of the most popular class of drugs in the world increases the risk of hip fracture in post-menopausal women by 35 percent, according to a new study. The risk increases to 50 percent if the women smoke cigarettes or have a history of smoking.
The British Medical Journal reveals today that proton pump inhibitors (PPI), which includes Prilosec and Prevacid, inhibits the absorption of calcium leading to the increased risk of fractures.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed the association between PPIs and hip fractures after evaluating nearly 80,000 post-menopausal women for eight years.
Previous studies have raised a concern and in May 2010, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning, but concluded that more data was needed. The FDA will determine whether revisions are required to the labeling.
Although the risk seems to increase the longer the drugs are taken, it returns to normal risk two years after women stopped taking the drugs.
If you would like to receive an email when the latest news on health and science is posted, please select the subscribe icon above. It's free and anonymous. Thank you for reading and please consider sharing this article with others. Each one, teach one!
Comments