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Study: Common heartburn medication may be heart risk

A novel data-mining project reveals evidence that a common heartburn medication taken by more than 100 million people every year is associated with a greater risk of heart attacks, Stanford University researchers reported Wednesday. After combing through

A novel data-mining project reveals evidence that a common heartburn medication taken by more than 100 million people every year is associated with a greater risk of heart attacks, Stanford University researchers reported Wednesday. After combing through 16 million electronic records of 2.9 million patients in two separate databases, the researchers found that people who take the medication to suppress the release of stomach acid are 16 percent to 21 percent more likely to suffer myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack.

Because of its design, the study could not show cause and effect, and more research is needed. But the link between the drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, and heart attacks is strong enough that "we do think patients should . . . discuss their risk with their doctors," said Nicholas J. Leeper, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine and vascular surgery at Stanford, and one of the authors of the study. Proton pump inhibitors may reduce production of nitric oxide from cells that line the inside of the circulatory system, including the heart. Lower levels of nitric oxide have long been associated with cardiovascular problems. - Washington Post