PPI Use Isn't Associated with Excess Risk for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Some observational studies have suggested an association between proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In this analysis drawn from a U.K. population-based database, researchers conducted both a cohort study (comparing risk for CAP in people exposed and people unexposed to PPIs) and a self-controlled case series (comparing risk for CAP within individuals, during times of PPI exposure vs. times of no PPI exposure). The self-controlled study design minimizes unmeasured confounding that might affect cohort study results if less-healthy patients are more likely both to take PPIs and to develop CAP.

In the cohort study (which included 160,000 adults and was adjusted for various comorbidities), adjusted risk for CA…