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At present, around 6.9 million elderly people in the United States live with Alzheimer's disease , the most common form of dementia. As the population is aging, this number should increase considerably over the next decades to 13 million cases by 2050.

While other factors, such as age, genetics and lifestyle, greatly contribute to your risk of dementia, emerging research suggests that the drugs you take can also play a role. For example, Long -term use of anticholinergic drugs - Communally prescribed for conditions such as depression, allergies and bladder control - has been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. Conversely, certain drugs that manage cardiovascular health, such as blood pressure and hypocholesterolic drugs, can help reduce the risk of dementia by supporting brain health.

Now another current drug that can be in your medication is linked to an increased risk of dementia.

In relation: Drugs like Ozempic could reduce your risk of dementia by 45%, show new research .

Proton pump inhibitors can be linked to dementia.

Inhibitors of the proton pump (PPI) are one of those drugs which, according to some researchers, could be linked to an increased risk of dementia. Effective therapy used to remove gastric acid, PPIs are a popular treatment for conditions such as stomach burns, acid reflux, stomach ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Current PPIs include omeprazole (Prilosec), Esomeprazole (Nexium) and Lansoprazole (prevacid).

In particular, a great Danish study found that among people diagnosed with dementia between 60 and 69 years old, those who used PPIs had a Risk of 36% higher Compared to non-users. This risk has decreased between 70 and 89 years, and no significant increase has been observed in people diagnosed at 90 years or over.

Above all, the increased risk was observed, regardless of the duration before the diagnosis of PPIs, even when the treatment has been launched more than 15 years before the diagnosis of dementia. Longer durations of the use of the PPI were associated with risks of gradually higher dementia.

The study, published in Alzheimer's and dementia: the newspaper of the Alzheimer's association Analyze health data of nearly two million people aged 60 to 75 between 2000 and 2018. During the 10 -year median follow -up period, more than 99,000 people received a dementia diagnosis.

Although the study has ceased to confirm a direct causal relationship, the results suggest that age at diagnosis considerably affects the association between the use of PPI and the risk of dementia. The authors propose that the use of the forty of PPI can influence long-term cognitive health, perhaps because of their impact on the brain function and the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. The results raise important questions about long -term use of these largely prescribed drugs.

It was not the only study to suggest that PPI could increase the risk of dementia: Another 2023 study , published in the journal Neurology , almost corroborates these alarming numbers. This team of researchers found that subjects that used PPI for more than 4.4 cumulative years were at a Risk 33% higher to develop dementia that those who have not reported their use. Patients who took PPI for shorter durations were not at increased risks.

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PPIs are also associated with a range of neurological and other symptoms.

According to a 2019 study Published in the journal Scientific relationships , IPPs can go through the blood-brain barrier, causing a range of neurological symptoms. In fact, the researchers analyzed more than 10 million reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unwanted event system (FDA), including more than 40,000 reports containing PPI, and found that people taking IPPs had increased chances of memory disorders compared to a control group that took antagonists from histamine-2 receptor receptors.

In addition, the team determined that the use of PPI was linked to migraine, peripheral neuropathies (conditions affecting the nerves outside the spinal cord or the brain) and visual and auditory neurosensory anomalies.

In addition to these neurological concerns, Yale Medicine experts note that Long -term use of PPIs has been linked to cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, bone fractures, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and more.

In relation: 6 foods that increase your risk of dementia, according to science .

PPI can be overestimated.

Although inhibitors of the proton pump are generally considered safe for use, some experts have criticized the frequency with which they are prescribed, in particular given their potential side effects. Many support that they are overused and often deployed without valid indication for their use.

Appeal "an important public health question", the authors of the Alzheimer's and dementia Note that more research on the link between the use of PPI and the risk of dementia is crucial, in particular "in the context of PPIs being among the drugs most prescribed in the world and with a high prevalence of inappropriate use." In other words, if you have been prescribed PPIs, this is the right time to check with your doctor the side effects and long -term use, or any other concern you may have about your treatment.