Anti-acid medication ‘increases hip fracture risk’

Elderly people using some treatments for acid-related diseases face a higher risk of hip fracture, medical research suggests.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, publishing their study in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association, claim that proton pump inhibitors (PPI) undermine bone density by decreasing calcium absorption levels.

The researchers found that those taking over one year of PPI therapy faced a 44 per cent increased risk of hip fracture, while those using PPI in the long-term were 2.6 times more likely to fracture their hip.

“At this point, physicians should be aware of this potential association when considering PPI therapy and should use the lowest effective dose for patients with appropriate indications,” the study’s authors write.

“For elderly patients who require long-term and particularly high-dose PPI therapy, it may be prudent to re-emphasize increased calcium intake, preferably from a dairy source, and co-ingestion of a meal when taking insoluble calcium supplements.”

Approximately one in five people dies within a year after suffering a hip fracture, the study’s background research states, while 20 per cent of those surviving beyond a year require expensive nursing home treatment.