Common heartburn drug linked to kidney disease risk

Intake of widely prescribed drugs to neutralise stomach acid by people with heartburn or stomach ulcers could be associated with increased risk of kidney disease, warns a study of over 40,000 patients.
The study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, showed patients who took proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were more likely to experience kidney disease than those who took another type of drug used to dampen down acid production called H2 blockers.

The patients who took only PPIs were 28.4 times more likely to report chronic kidney disease, as well as acute kidney injury (4.2 times more likely), end-stage renal disease (35.5 times more likely) and unspecified kidney impairment (eight times more likely), said researchers including Ruben Abagyan, Professor from the University of California-San Diego.