PPIs May Lead to Heart Disease

According to recent research, the drugs that help millions of people control their acid reflux may also cause cardiovascular disease. In human tissue and mouse models, researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital and two other institutions found proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) caused the constriction of blood vessels. If taken regularly, PPIs could lead to a variety of cardiovascular problems over they, the researchers state, including hypertension and a weakened heartburn. In the paper, published in the current issue of Circulation (published by the American Heart Association), the scientists say a broad, large-scale study is needed to determine if PPIs are dangerous. The most commonly taken PPIs are lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec or Prilosec OTC). "The surprising effect that PPIs may impair vascular health needs further investigation," said John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., the study's principal investigator. "Our work is consistent with previous reports that PPIs may increase the risk of a second heart attack in people that have been hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome. Patients taking PPIs may wish to speak to their doctors about switching to another drug to protect their stomachs, if they are at risk for a heart attack." According to the research, in the mouse models and cultures of human endothelial cells, Cooke and lead author Yohannes Ghebramariam, Ph.D., found that PPIs suppressed the enzyme DDAH, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase. That caus...
Source: About Heartburn / Acid Reflux - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news