Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are common medications prescribed for acid reflux in millions. However, often these medications are prescribed far longer than recommended without thought to discontinuation, and often the chronic detriments of long term use are missed by prescribers.

Published in the journal Neurology, researchers found that the chronic use of PPI increases one’s risk to developing dementia.

For their study, researchers analyzed 5,712 people 45 years old and older (average age was 75) who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Participants were followed yearly and their medication list was reviewed. They found that 26% of the subjects had taken PPIs. Subjects were segmented into four groups based on how long they have been taking the medications: never took the medication, took it up to 2.8 years, from 2.8 years to 4.4 years, and more than 4.4 years.

Overall, for people who took the medication more than 4.4 years, their risk of developing dementia was 33% higher.

C Northius et al. Cumulative use of proton pump inhibitors and risk of dementia: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Neurology. 2023. dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207747

Following 5.5 year follow up,