Proton-pump Inhibitors -- the popular drugs that fight stomach acid -- increase the risk of hip fractures.

A study in the Dec. 27, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association by Dr Yang, et. al., finds that people over age 50 who take the drugs for more than one year have a 44% increased risk of breaking a hip.

The drugs are Aciphex®, Nexium®, Prevacid®, Prilosec® (called Losec® in Europe), and Protonix®. The drugs shut down the chemical "pump" needed by stomach cells to make acid.

Proton Pump Inhibitors and Calcium

…Stomach acid helps the body absorb calcium, which is needed for healthy bones. But it only takes a little bit of acid to do this. That may be why Yang's team finds only a "modest" fracture risk with low doses of proton-pump inhibitors and a "much higher magnitude" risk with high doses.

H2 Antagonists and Calcium

It may also explain why Dr. Yang’s study found no link between other types of acid reducing drugs and hip fracture. Other treatments, referred to as H2 antagonists (Tagamet®, Zantac®, Axid®, and Pepcid®), work by specifically blocking the histamine type 2 receptor, preventing histamine from stimulating acid-producing cells. Unlike the Proton-pump Inhibitors, the H2 antagonists do not cut off the stomach acid completely. Since only a small amount of acid is required to absorb calcium, these drugs allow calcium absorption and thus do not increase the risk of fracture.

Side effects of Nexium®, Prilosec®, Protonix®, Prevacid®

headache * diarrhea * upset stomach * constipation * hives *skin rash * itching * difficulty breathing * swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs. *