Drug Taken by Millions Linked to 33% Higher Dementia Risk

Millions of people use proton pump inhibitors to control heartburn, acid reflux, stomach ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. These medicines—including omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole—reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach and can be essential when prescribed for the right reason.

However, an observational study published in Neurology found that adults who had taken proton pump inhibitors for more than 4.4 years had a 33% higher risk of developing dementia than people who had never used them. The result does not prove that these medicines cause dementia, and researchers found no significant increase with shorter use.