Heartburn Meds Could Damage The Kidney, Study Says

Well-known drugs for heartburn are now considered to be one of the perpetrators for a damaged kidney. A recent study revealed that patients who took these kinds of medicines now experience kidney issues like failure of the organ.

According to CBS Philly, the study released by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and ulcers, can cause a number of kidney issues a few years after taking them. These drugs include Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium.

These drugs are considered to be popular among millions of Americans because they can quickly treat heartburn. However, the study said that a big percentage of the 173,321 population sample they studied now experience kidney problems after taking PPIs five years earlier.

The research also highlighted that individuals who took these medicines have a 96-percent increased risk of having kidney failure and 28 percent higher risk of developing a chronic kidney disease. "What makes it more relevant to a public health perspective is that there are a very high number of people who are taking PPIs, and it's very available over the counter," said lead author Ziyad Al-Aly, a Washington University medicine professor, in a Patch report.

He explained that many people grab it from a medicine store counter because they believe it is safe to take. However, he said that recent studies revealed that taking the drugs is not as safe as the public thought it to be.

With the function of reducing the acid in the stomach, PPIs can usually have side effects like stomach pain and nausea. But Al-Aly said that what people do not know is what these medicines can do to a person's health in the long run.

"It's not only associated with developing chronic kidney disease but also the progression of kidney disease to end-stage renal disease," he told Patch. "Complete kidney failure."