New Study Links Proton Pump Inhibitor Medications to Onset of Dementia
A new study released last month concluded that the class of medications referred to as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can lead to cognitive decline disorders like dementia. The study involved patients who took PPIs like Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid between 2004 and 2011. The full range of pharmaceuticals covered in the study includes raberprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, omeprazole, and lansoprazole.
Roughly 73,600 patients were involved in the study. The patients were over the age of 75 years and did not show signs or a history of dementia at the time the study commenced. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers determined that patients who regularly took PPI medications “had a significantly increased risk of incident dementia compared with patients not receiving PPI medication.”
Until recently, lawsuits filed against AstraZeneca, the maker of Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid, have involved allegations that the patients who took the prescription drugs suffered from kidney diseases and heart attacks. This new research provides another potential basis for obtaining recovery from AstraZeneca. If you or a loved one took one of the prescription drugs covered in the study and developed dementia, you may be entitled to compensation.