drugs, said lead researcher Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly.
He stressed that the excess risks were relatively small. For example, over 10 years, 13% of PPI users died of a cardiovascular condition, including heart disease or stroke. That compared with just over 11% of people who used H2 blockers, another class of heartburn drug.
When the researchers weighed other factors, such as patients’ age and chronic health conditions, PPI use was tied to a roughly 18% higher risk of cardiovascular death.
However, based on patients’ medical records, many of those with PPI prescriptions had no documented need for one.
“That’s unsettling,” said Al-Aly, an assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
“It suggests a lot of people were using a PPI without actually needing one,” he said. “They could be