Extended use of popular drugs to treat heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux has been associated with an increased risk of premature death. However, little has been known about the specific causes of death attributed to the drugs.

Now, a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System has linked long-term use of such drugs — called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — to fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and upper gastrointestinal cancer.

 

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

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