Proton pump inhibitors increase cardiovascular risk

We can reason that disabling digestion by blocking the production of hydrochloric acid production in the stomach would be likely to have numerous unwanted effects as noted in an earlier report. Now a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine offers evidence that proton pump inhibitors (such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, etc) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The authors initially set out to...

"...examine the risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes related to concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel compared with that of PPIs alone in adults hospitalized for myocardial infarction."

They examined all the patients discharged from all the hospitals in Denmark after a first-time heart attack, 56,406 people,for re-hospitalization for heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death. What did the data show?

"Of the 24 702 patients (43.8%) who received clopidogrel, 6753 (27.3%) received concomitant PPIs. The hazard ratio for cardiovascular death or rehospitalization for myocardial infarction or stroke for concomitant use of a PPI and clopidogrel among the cohort assembled at day 30 after discharge was 1.29. The corresponding ratio for use of a PPI in patients who did not receive clopidogrel was 1.29. No statistically significant interaction occurred between a PPI and clopidogrel."

In other words, PPIs with or without clopidrogel increased the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events by almost 30%. The authors state in conclusion:

"Proton-pump inhibitors seem to be associated with increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes after discharge, regardless of clopidogrel use for myocardial infarction."