Heartburn drugs increase risk of kidney failure

"People who use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have a 20 percent to 50 percent higher risk of chronic kidney disease compared with nonusers, said lead author Dr. Morgan Grams, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The study was published Jan. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study doesn't establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the drugs and chronic kidney disease. However, Grams said, "We found there was an increasing risk associated with an increasing dose. That suggests that perhaps this observed effect is real."

Proton pump inhibitors were used by more than 15 million Americans in 2013, according to background notes.

But as many as 70 percent of these prescriptions have been handed out inappropriately, and 25 percent of long-term users could stop taking the medication without suffering increased heartburn or acid reflux, the study authors said.

Use of the prescription heartburn drugs already has been linked to short-term kidney problems such as acute kidney injury and an inflammatory kidney disease called acute interstitial nephritis, Grams said.

Newer studies now show a link between the drugs and chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys lose their ability to filter blood effectively.

Over time, chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, forcing someone to undergo regular dialysis and possibly a kidney transplant, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health."

http://consumer.healthday.com/gastrointestinal-information-15/heartburn-gerd-and-indigestion-news-369/ppis-and-kidney-disease-706877.html

If you have heartburn problems my advice is to consult a natural health practitioner who does not deal in drugs.  Heartburn has several possible causes.  These heartburn drugs treat the symptoms and not the underlying or root causes.  These fester on and the condition worsens even while there may be no or less worrying symptoms.  The absence of symptoms does not always mean the absence of disease.

 About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Health benefits of Lecithin (Phosphatidylcholine)

From the results of thousands of published studies Phosphatidylcholine (Found principally in lecithin) can help:

• Improve and protect cell membranes damaged by free-radicals in the blood, blood vessels, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, brain and more
• Transport fats consumed in the diet through the blood to tissues that require them. Without adequate phosphatidylcholine, fat and cholesterol accumulate in the liver.
• Improve blood flow and circulation
• Improve liver and kidney function
• Improve pancreatic function
• Improve heart function
• Boost immunity
• Improve memory
• Improve libido and sexual function

I have taken a few courses of lecithin oil over the years and was amazed first time with the definite improvement in mental clarity and stamina that was obvious after about a week of taking 2-3 capsules per day.  Lecithin is used by athletes to improve physical and mental performance.  I agree with this practice.

Tip: Crack the capsule with your molar teeth so that the lecithin oil is released early in the digestion process.  Lecithin oil is a fat emulsifier.  Lecithin in the stomach emulsifies any fat which might otherwise settle on the top of the stomach contents and not be fully digested.  Lecithin assists the absorption and transport of fatty acids in the body.

Gastric Reflux

I have used lecithin oil and Flaoradix Calcium Magnesium Tonic as an effective remedy for gastric reflux and as a healthy alternative to drugs like Losec which can have all kinds of unwanted side effects.  Take a cracked (use your molar teeth) lecithin oil capsule with each meal - maybe two if the meal is fatty.  At the first hint of gastric reflux swill a capsule or two of Floradix Calcium Magnesium Tonic down the throat.  Do not lie flat.  Sit or lie partly upright.

For my cost conscious customers, the best thing about Lecithin Oil is it is not expensive (probably because it can not be patented), costing only $20 for a pot of capsules.  Please go here for more information.

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.