Heartburn medicine, namely those in the class of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), could be linked to long-term kidney disease.

Nexium and Prilosec are two of the most widely prescribed PPI medications in the U.S. They control heartburn and acid reflux by preventing the stomach from making too much acid.

John Hopkins University Study

Dr. Morgan Grams, an assistant professor of epidemiology at John Hopkins University in Baltimore was the lead author of a January 2016 study that showed people who use PPIs have a 20 to 50 percent higher risk of chronic kidney disease than people who do not take the drugs.

Even though the study does not show a clear cause-and-effect relationship, it does show an increased risk of chronic kidney disease with an increasing dose of PPIs.

Millions of Americans use PPIs, but 25 percent of long-term PPI users could stop taking Nexium or Prilosec without suffering from a recurrence of heartburn or acid reflux, according to the study.

Dr. Grams said that PPIs such as Nexium and Prilosec have already been shown to cause short-term kidney issues such as an inflammatory kidney disease called acute interstitial nephritis and acute kidney injury.

This new study shows there is a possible link between prescription Nexium and Prilosec and chronic kidney disease. With chronic kidney disease, the kidneys no longer filter blood optimally.

Chronic kidney disease can deteriorate to kidney failure, dialysis and possibly lead to a kidney transplant.

Dr. Grams’ study followed two groups of people taking proton pump inhibitors. The first group consisted of more than 10,000 patients who self-reported on their PPI use. The second group consisted of nearly 250,000 patients in a rural health care system in Pennsylvania who took prescription PPIs.

Researchers determined that both groups showed an increased risk of chronic kidney disease over a decade.

When comparing people who took Nexium or Prilosec twice a day over a once a day, the study showed a 46 percent increased risk with those who took it twice a day. Once daily users showed a 15 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

How Could Nexium, Prilosec Cause Kidney Disease?

So far, doctors are not sure how Nexium, Prilosec and other PPIs could damage the kidneys, but there are some ideas.

Dr. Grams said because it is known that PPIs reduce the magnesium levels in the body, the kidneys could suffer from being denied enough of the mineral. Another theory is that the kidneys might sustain damage from the PPIs causing acute kidney inflammation repeatedly over time.

VA Study Shows Similar Results

In a study from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released last month, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and the Clinical Epidemiology Center at the VA St. Louis Health Care System compared 173,321 people who took PPIs with 20,270 who took alternative heartburn medicines.

These heartburn medications, such as Zantac and Tagamet,  are called histamine H2 receptor blockers.

After five years of use, the patients who had been taking Nexium and Prilosec PPI medications showed a 96 percent increased risk of kidney failure and a 28 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease compared to the people who had been taking histamine H2 receptor blockers.

Help for Those with Kidney Disease

If you or a loved one have taken prescription PPI medications such as Nexium or Prilosec and are suffering from kidney disease, you could participate in a class action lawsuit that could assist with hospitalization expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other expenses incurred as a result.