Regular PPIs use increases rheumatoid arthritis risk in women
Delhi: Regular use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with a higher risk observed in individuals with a longer duration of PPI use, according to a recent study in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
PPIs are among the most commonly prescribed medications used worldwide. It is used for a variety of acid-related disorders such as peptic ulcer disease, non-ulcer dyspepsia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, long-term use of PPIs has been linked with a variety of health problems. Previous studies have shown PPIs to have a significant impact on the gut microbiome, which in turn, might increase the risk of RA.
Yihang Pan, the Precision Medicine Center at The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, China, and colleagues evaluated the association between regular use of PPIs and RA risk.
For the purpose, the researchers conducted a prospective analysis of the US nurses who reported PPI use data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS 2002‐2014) and NHS II (2003‐2015), and were free from RA. The exposure was regular PPI use in the past 2 years. RA was confirmed by the 1987 or 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria.
Key findings of the study include:
- 421 cases of RA were documented over 1 753 879 person‐years of follow‐up.
- Regular PPI users had a 44% higher risk of RA as compared with non‐regular users (adjusted HR = 1.44).
- The risk of RA increased with the total duration of PPI use.
- Compared with non‐regular users, the adjusted HRs were 1.22 for women with >0 to 4 years' use and 1.73 for >4 years' use.
"Regular use of PPI was associated with increased risk of RA in women, with a higher risk observed in individuals with a longer duration of PPI use. Due to the observational study design, large prospective trials are still required to confirm our finding," concluded the authors.
The study, "Regular use of proton pump inhibitor and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: a prospective cohort study," is published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15834
