Gastric acid suppressants linked to hospitalisation

We found that taking PPIs increased the risk of hospitalisation with infectious gastroenteritis by up to 70 per cent. New research has found a link between popular heartburn drugs and an increase in the risk of infectious gastroenteritis - an illness that results in 13.1 million lost days of work in Australia a year. The study led by The Australian National University (ANU) and based on data from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, found people who take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), had a 70 per cent increase in the risk of being admitted to hospital with infectious gastroenteritis. Lead author Dr Yingxi Chen from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health said the research examined data from the study to look at cases of infectious gastroenteritis in Australians older than 45. "We found that taking PPIs increased the risk of hospitalisation with infectious gastroenteritis by up to 70 per cent because they significantly reduce the amount of acid made by stomach, which increases risk of infectious gastro," Dr Chen said. PPIs are one of the world's most commonly used gastric acid suppressants, with more than 19 million scripts prescribed annually in Australia. The research builds on a report by the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health which found 15.1 million gastro cases in Australia in 2010.