Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Linked to Increased Dementia Risk

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Older adults who use proton pump inhibitors may be at increased risk for developing dementia, according to an observational study in JAMA Neurology.

Using claims from a large German health insurer, researchers studied nearly 74,000 adults aged 75 and older without dementia in 2004. By 2011, roughly 40% were diagnosed with dementia. Overall, 4% of participants used PPIs regularly during at least one 12-to-18-month interval during the study period.

After adjustment for confounders, including age, polypharmacy, stroke, and depression, PPI use was associated with a 44% increased risk for incident dementia.

As potential mechanisms of action, the authors cite evidence suggesting that some PPIs can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect brain enzyme levels. They call for randomized trials to confirm their observational findings.