Proton Pump Inhibitors and Kidney Function

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs used for gastric disorders. Because of their low toxicity, they are overprescribed and not always used rationally. Although PPIs are safe, observational studies suggest that PPI use is associated with an increased risk of several adverse health events on the health of the kidney.

Researchers have found in a new study that long-term use of PPIs is linked to a decline in kidney function and risk of developing CKD.

Study Publication

The new study has been published in the BMC Nephrology. Researchers conducted the study to investigate the longitudinal association of use and time of use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney function change.

Study Details

Prospective study with 13,909 participants from baseline (2008–2010) and second wave (2012–2014) of the ELSA-Brasil (mean interval between visits = 3.9 years (1.7–6.0)). Participants answered about use and time use of the PPI in the two weeks prior to the interview. Renal function was assessed by glomerular filtration rate estimated by the Collaboration Equation for the Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease. Values below 60ml/min/1.73 m² in wave 2 were considered incident CKD. Associations between PPI use and time of use at baseline and incident CKD and decline in renal function were estimated, respectively, by logistic regression and linear models with mixed effects, after adjusting for confounders.

Results

After adjustments, PPI users for more than six months had an increased risk of CKD compared to non-users. Compared to non-users, users of PPIs for up to six months and above six months had a greater decline in kidney function over time.

This cohort of adults and elderly, after a mean interval of 3.9 years, PPI use and initial duration were associated with kidney function change between visits.

Reference

dos Santos, A.S., de Menezes, S.T., Silva, I.R. et al. Kidney function decline associated with proton pump inhibitors: results from the ELSA-Brasil cohort. BMC Nephrol 24, 285 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-023-03300-4

Keywords

• Long-term
• Use
• PPIs
• Linked
• Decline
• Kidney
• Function
• Risk
• Developing
• CKD
• BMC Nephrology
• dos Santos
• A.S.
• de Menezes
• S.T.
• Silva
• I.R.