Proton Pump Inhibitor Use Linked to Hypertension Risk in Menopausal Women, reveals AHA study

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension in menopausal women.

For diseases including peptic ulcer disease and esophagitis, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the preferred course of treatment. Between 2002 and 2009, PPI usage more than doubled (from 4% to 9%, respectively). In the US, one of the PPIs was prescribed over 70 million times in 2016. Bone fractures, pneumonia, and kidney damage are among the adverse effects that have been related to inappropriate PPI usage, particularly in older adults, whether as a result of extended use or a lack of a suitable rationale.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between incident hypertension and PPI usage in menopausal women who were participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, or WHI-OS. Examining the relationship between PPI usage and changes in blood pressure recorded in a clinical environment over a three-year period was the secondary goal.

This research included 64,720 menopausal women who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (1993–1998) and were free of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Medication inventories were used to assess the baseline PPI usage and duration. According to self-report on yearly questionnaires, the outcome was incident hypertension diagnosed or treated by a physician.