Individuals over 50 years of age taking proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs to reduce stomach acid may have a 44 percent greater chance of hip fractures, according to a study published in the December 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Although the study has been the focus of recent media reports, patients should be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued a formal warning, and the study results are very preliminary. Patients should not stop taking their PPI medication or switch to a different medication without first speaking to their physician.

Researchers conducting the study found PPI medications -- Aciphex®, Nexium®, omeprazole generic, Prevacid®, Prilosec® and Protonix® -- may have multiple effects on bones, including interfering with calcium absorption and reducing bone resorption. Patients taking a PPI drug may want to consider taking a calcium citrate with meals but should talk to their doctor before beginning a supplement regimen.

The study compared the health information of more than 190,000 individuals living in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland between 1987 and 2003. After participants' health information was entered into a database to detect trends or possible causal relationships, the information showed that individuals over age 50 taking PPIs for more than one year had a higher incidence of hip fractures compared to individuals of the same age who had never taken the medications.

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