While PPIs are widely used to treat gastrointestinal illnesses, recent evidence suggests they may be related to cognitive decline. A group of German researchers conducted a prospective cohort study to examine the association between the use of PPIs and the risk of incident dementia in the elderly. They used observational data (from 2004-2011) from the largest German statutory health insurer. Their analysis of 73,679 participants (≥ 75 yrs.) concluded in November 2015. The association between PPI use and dementia was analyzed using time-dependent Cox regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors such as age, sex and polypharmacy. Researchers discovered that patients receiving regular PPI medication had a significantly increased risk of incident dementia compared with patients not receiving PPIs. The researchers concluded that the avoidance of PPI medication may prevent the development of dementia. This finding is supported by recent pharmacoepidemiological analyses on primary data, and is in line with mouse models in which the use of PPIs increased the levels of β-amyloid in the brains of mice.
Comm, W, et al. Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors with Risk of Dementia; A Pharmacoepidemikological Claims Data Analysis. JAMA Neurol. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4791 Published online Feb 14, 201