Nexium, Prilosec May Lead to High Blood Pressure Among Menopausal Women: Study

Menopausal women using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) face increased risks of developing hypertension and higher systolic blood pressure.

According to the findings of a new study, menopausal women taking medication to treat acid reflux face a higher risk of developing hypertension, which has been linked to increased risks of heart attack and stroke.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association last month, showing that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium and Prevacid increase a woman’s risk of high blood pressure by nearly 20% if they are going through menopause, which can increase their risk of other adverse health events as well.

Proton pump inhibitors slow the production of stomach acid, and are used to treat conditions like ulcers, heartburn, gastroesophageal disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis. They include popular brands such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix and Nexium.

An estimated 15 million Americans take PPIs every year, often suffering side effects such as diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation and an increased risk of kidney disease.

For the new study, researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo looked at more than 65,000 menopausal women.

The research team, led by Dr. Jean Wactawski-Wende, used data from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study conducted from 1993 through 1998, focusing on women who were free from cardiovascular disease and hypertension at the start of the study. Medication inventories were conducted to determine PPI use and duration.

According to the data, nearly 29,000 menopausal women who participated in the study had hypertension. The researchers determined that menopausal women who used PPIs had a 17% increased risk of developing high blood pressure compared to women who didn’t use PPIs. More so, long-term use of PPIs led to an increased risk of hypertension by 13% overall.

Researchers discovered women who used PPIs saw an increase of systolic blood pressure by nearly 4 mm Hg compared to those who never used PPIs.

However, researchers said more studies are needed to show the risks, particularly long-term, that PPIs may pose to menopausal women.

PPI Health Risks

Previous research has also warned that medications like Prilosec and Prevacid can damage the lining of the esophagus and stomach, which can increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life. The data indicated patients with damage to the lining of the small intestine, esophagus and gastrointestinal areas have a 76% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s.

Other research has concluded programs to reduce the use of heartburn drugs like Prilosec and Prevacid were successful in reducing healthcare costs, without causing any negative harm to patients. In fact, the study showed patients used fewer PPIs without an increase in intestinal bleeding.

In recent years, heartburn and stomach acid medications have been linked to a number of serious side effects, including kidney damage and stomach cancer. As a result, a number of lawsuits have been filed against drug makers, claiming the companies failed to warn users about the known risks.

Settlements have been reached in some cases with major drug makers, including AstraZeneca, which agreed to pay $425 million to resolve nearly 11,000 lawsuits.

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