Fact-Check: Can Popular Heartburn Drugs Really Cause Heart Attacks?

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00:00Fact check. Can popular heartburn drugs really cause heart attacks?

00:05Cravings for cheesy pizza and greasy fries cause heartburn and acid reflux.

00:11Many use medications, but a 2015 study suggests some heartburn drugs may increase heart attack risk,

00:18prompting further investigation into this claim.

00:20In 2015, Stanford researchers linked certain heartburn medications to increased heart attack

00:30risks by analyzing over 3 million medical records. They focused on proton pump inhibitors like

00:36Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid, which are major pharmaceutical sellers, generating approximately

00:42$14 billion annually.

00:48About 20 million U.S. adults use heartburn medication, stressing the need to understand health risks.

00:55Lab experiments linked PPI use to heart tissue issues, prompting Stanford's Negam Shah to examine

01:01medical records for links to heart attacks.

01:03PPI users experienced a 16% to 21% elevated risk of heart attacks over 17 years.

01:14In contrast to H2 blockers, the use of PPIs may adversely affect blood vessel health.

01:21Dr. Leeper particularly highlighted this specific cardiovascular risk.

01:24While study results worry some, experts like Dr. David Julink caution that such studies can be

01:34misleading. The risk increase is modest, especially for low-risk individuals, but concerns arise for

01:40high-risk patients, where even small increases can significantly impact vulnerability to heart

01:46attacks.

01:46Switching from PPIs is suggested for high-risk individuals, but lifestyle factors like alcohol,

01:55smoking, and poor diet are more concerning.

01:59Breaking this cycle with lifestyle changes improves health, offering benefits beyond reducing heart

02:04attack risks.