A popular acid reflux drug has been accused of inducing heart attacks in patients.

Patients claim that they suffered from sudden heart attacks after taking Prilosec and other heartburn drugs known as proton pump inhibitors.

Completely healthy patients have reported suffering cardiac attacks from Prilosec, despite a reasonably healthy diet. The risks are apparently doubled, if patients take these drugs with a pre-existing heart condition and is twice as likely to cause death in patients with underlying heart conditions. At the same time, experts report that the increased risk ceases when the drug is stopped.

This has raised concern in the medical community and patient population, as proton pump inhibitors are some of the most popular acid reflux drugs prescribed in the United States, generating billions in annual sales.

These drugs, such as Nexium and Prilosec, each work by reducing the amount of stomach acid produced in the glands that are located in the stomach lining.

This treatment mechanism also suppress the amount of nitric oxide in the cells found in the lining of the circulatory system. Low nitric oxide levels are commonly associated with cardiac complications.

Drugs included in the proton pump inhibitor treatment family include but are not limited to:

• Esomeprazole (Nexium)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid)
• Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
• Pantoprazole (Protonix)
• Rabeprazole (Aciphex)

Of these heartburn treatments, Nexium is the best-selling proton pump inhibitor. It recently became available without a prescription.

Many PPIs are now available over the counter. However, acid reflux medications have not been approved for long-term use. Patients using these OTC acid reflux medications for more than two weeks should talk with their doctors.

Overview of Proton Pump Inhibitor Cardiac Complications

Medical experts explain that Prilosec and other medications in its drug class, may decrease the level of nitric oxide in the blood, which leads to the heart attacks. While patients should always consult their doctors before discontinuing a medication, doctors are now recommending alternative drugs to treat acid reflux.

In fact, a recent study conducted by researchers from Houston Methodist and Stanford shows that proton pump inhibitors can increase the risk of heart attack by 20 percent, while H2 blocker medications were shown not to raise the risk of cardiac complications at all.

The researchers analyzed 2.9 million electronic patient records between the ages of 16 and 21, who had taken proton pump inhibitors and were found to be at risk for a heart attack.

On the other hand, critics of this study pointed out that this study failed to address cause and effect and other outside influences that may have contributed to the heart attack, such as diet and exercise. Additionally, critics state that even if heart attacks occur after using a proton pump inhibitor, they are very rare and unlikely.