Prolonged use of PPI tied to community acquired pneumonia risk: Study

People have dealt with stomach acid-related problems in a variety of ways.ProtienPump Inhibitors (PPI) include heavily marketed familiar brand-name drugs like Prevacid (lansoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole), and Nexium (esomeprazole). A new study by Xuejiao Xun and team brought out the effects of prolonged use of PPI. They have found in the study that Prolonged use of Proton Pump Inhibitors is associated with community acquired pneumonia risk. The study is published in the Journal of Annals of pharmacotherapy.

The objective of the study was to meta-analyze and systematically assess the association between the risk of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) and PPI use in adults to reduce the adverse effects of PPI and ensure the safety of medication for patients.

The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search, published between January 1, 2004, and February 1, 2021. The primary outcome was the incidence of CAP. This meta-analysis was performed using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs as effective measures; 13 studies including 2 098 804 patients were enrolled in our meta-analysis.

The researchers found out that the incidence of CAP was higher in PPI users than non -PPI users [OR = 1.37 (95% CI = 1.22–1.53)], especially for PPI duration < 30 days [OR = 1.49 (95% CI = 1.34–1.66)]. Compared with non-PPI use, PPI use increased the incidence of CAP in the stroke disease population [OR = 1.52 (95% CI = 1.33–1.75)], but not in the liver disease population [OR = 1.13 (95% CI = 0.98–1.30)].

The researchers concluded that "Using PPI could increase the risk of CAP when compared to not using PPI. PPI use increased the incidence of CAP in patients with stroke. Clinicians and clinical pharmacists should weigh the benefits before medication and strictly control the indication of the prescription, so as to reduce adverse reactions." However some studies suggested an increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among proton pump inhibitors (PPI) users. However, the published evidence is inadequate to define the association between PPI use and the risk of CAP.

For further information : Xun X, Yin Q, Fu Y, He X, Dong Z. Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of community-acquired pneumonia: An updated meta-analysis. Annals of Pharmacotherapy.Published online August 2021. doi: 10.1177/10600280211039240.