Long-term PPI use may up pneumonia risk among older adults

A study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, examined the association between proton-pump inhibitors, typically prescribed for heartburn, and pneumonia among elderly adults.

Researchers studied the Clinical Practice Research Datalink for England, which includes medical records from primary care practices in the U.K. They studied 75,050 patients 60 years and older receiving PPIs for one year or longer as well as age‐and sex‐matched controls.

Researchers found during the second year of treatment, PPIs were linked to greater likelihood of developing pneumonia. Estimates were similar across age and comorbidity subgroups.

"Controversies about the validity of reported short‐term harms of PPIs should not divert attention from potential long‐term effects of PPI prescriptions on older adults," study authors concluded.

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