Can Heartburn Drugs Cause Osteoporosis?

According to a major medical study in England, that was conducted on heartburn and acid reflux, researchers found that Proton Pump Inhibitors such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid are exposing millions of users to the increased risk of Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition in which your bones become weakened and then are more likely to fracture. If left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks.

Any bone in your body can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip or spine fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk without help and may cause permanent disability or even death.

The study showed these drugs "inhibit the natural absorption of calcium" from food products, such as milk and cheese, which are a well-known source of calcium. However, some people are allergic to dairy products and even more people, are lactose-intolerant, leaving them unable to consume dairy products. However there are many other good food sources of calcium such as kelp, wakame and hijiki; nuts and seeds (like almonds and sesame); blackstrap molasses; beans; oranges; amaranth; collard greens; okra; rutabaga; broccoli; dandelion leaves; kale; and fortified products such as orange juice.

Calcium is essential in muscle contraction, oocyte activation, bones and tooth structure, blood clotting, nerve impulse transmission, regulating your heartbeat, and fluid balance within cells. It is a fact that between 50% and 75% of adults do not get sufficient calcium in their diet. Adults require a daily dose of between 1,000 and 1,300 mg of calcium.

When the body is not absorbing enough calcium through our diet it will leech the mineral it requires from our teeth and bones putting them in a weakened state. Once our bones start to deplete their calcium, we expose ourselves to "Osteoporosis" and the increased risk of hip and other bone fractures such as the wrist.

Hip fractures in the elderly often lead to life-threatening complications. Doctors should be convinced, their patients have a good reason to stay on heartburn medications long-term, said the study co-author Dr. Yu-Xiao Yang from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The study also went on to explain that H2 Blockers such as Tagamet and Pepcid also have a similar but slightly smaller risk of causing people to develop Osteoporosis, which exposes them the possibility of hip and other bone fractures. People who have taken any of these drugs for more than a year have a 44% higher risk of hip fractures than non-users of heartburn medications.

Millions of people around the world are at risk, although women are four times more likely than men to develop the condition. Yes it's true, men also suffer from osteoporosis and put themselves at risk for hip, spine or wrist fractures.

Heartburn drug manufacturers put an insert in your package of drugs which clearly states in most cases that these meds are only to be taken for a short period of time. That period of time is usually two weeks, not for the rest of your life like some doctors are saying.

Copyright 2007 William Lagadyn