BAD BREAKS
The risks from antacids for those with osteoporosis
Long-term use of antacids known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) dramatically increase the risk of bone fractures related to osteoporosis, a new study confirms.
People who took medications such as Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec and Protonix for seven years or more were almost twice as likely to experience these fractures as people in a drug-free control group. The risk for hip fracture specifically soared more than fourfold.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg looked at medical records of 5,792 patients who reported osteoporotic hip, wrist, or spinal fractures. They compared those records with a 50,000-patient control group.
Reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, this was the third study to tie proton pump inhibitors to increased fracture risk. These drugs are used to treat acid reflux, peptic ulcers, and other stomach conditions. The likely explanation: As they work to inhibit the secretion of hydrochloric acid, they also may accelerate the rate of bone mineral loss.
Patients who must take PPIs might consider adding osteoporosis medications to their regimens, suggests Dr. Elton Strauss, chief of orthopedic trauma and adult reconstruction at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "Patients also have to be aware that if they are taking PPIs and they drink or smoke or take drugs like prednisone, they don't do well orthopedically," he adds.
Foods such as eggs and liver, which are rich in Vitamin D, encourage calcium absorption. The University of Virginia Health system suggests including them in your diet, especially if you are lactose-intolerant and unable to eat dairy products. Other good sources of calcium on its list are:
Leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and kale.
Oily fish such as salmon and sardines.
Yogurts with active cultures --which can help make the yogurt easier to digest.
Also, whether you're on PPI therapy or not, smoking can have a major impact on bone health, warns the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Smoking decreases bone density and reduces the body's ability to absorb calcium.