By the way, doctor: Does taking Prilosec cause hip fractures?
Q. I heard that taking a proton-pump inhibitor could cause hip fractures. I've been taking 20 mg of Prilosec every day for a year. Should I be concerned?
A. You're referring to a study published in the Dec. 27, 2006, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which found a link between hip fracture and the use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) — drugs that block acid production in the stomach. Data gathered from 1.8 million people over age 50, most of them women, found that those who used PPIs for more than 12 months increased their risk of having a hip fracture by 44%. The risk increased with both the dosage and the duration of PPI therapy — findings that compel scientists to take a closer look.
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