Do Proton-Pump Inhibitors Cause Chronic Kidney Disease?

Patients often ask about increasingly publicized adverse effects of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), including chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this observational study, researchers used national data from the Veterans Affairs system to assess risk for developing CKD in patients whose estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was >60 mL/minute/1.73 m² when a PPI was first prescribed. Patients who received histamine-2–blocker prescriptions served as the comparison group. Notably, the researchers excluded patients who had acute kidney injury during follow-up. Analyses were adjusted for potential demographic and clinical confounders, including receipt of prescriptions for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

During 5 years of follow-u…