Kuopio, Finland—While previous studies have suggested that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors increases the risk of hip fracture, a new analysis finds that not to the case in a review of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

The study in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics identified a slightly increased rate with PPI use for less than a year but not for long-term or cumulative use during a follow-up period of 10 years. 

University of Eastern Finland researchers used the register-based MEDALZ-cohort comprising data on all community-dwelling persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in Finland in 2005-2011 to reach their conclusions.

Included were 4,818 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and an incident hip fracture, and 19,235 subjects without hip fracture. Participants age averaged 84 years. The analysis involved the association between hip fracture and duration of current PPI use—defined as ongoing use during 0 to 30 days before the index date—as well as cumulative duration of use during 10 years before.

Findings were adjusted for other medication increasing the risk of fall, osteoporosis, socioeconomic status, long-term hospital care, history of psychiatric diseases, and chronic diseases increasing the risk of fall or fracture.

While results found no link between long?term or cumulative proton pump inhibitor use with increased risk of hip fracture, current PPI use was somewhat associated (adjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.22). In addition, the risk was found to be increased in short?term current use of less than a year for an adjusted OR of 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.37.

“The increased risk of hip fracture was evident only in short?term proton pump inhibitor use, but no association was found for long?term or cumulative use,” study authors conclude. “Thus, our findings do not support previous assumptions that long?term proton pump inhibitor use would be associated with an increased risk of hip fractures.”

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