- A new study suggests that long-term use of common anti-acid medications, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), may not increase the risk of stomach cancer.
- Published in The BMJ, the research by experts at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden analysed extensive data from over 17,000 stomach cancer patients and 170,000 control subjects across five Nordic countries.
- The study found no association between long-term PPI use, defined as more than a year, and gastric adenocarcinoma, challenging previous research that indicated a link.
- Researchers stated that earlier studies were "hampered by several methodological limitations," such as including PPI use shortly before diagnosis or failing to account for other variables.
- While offering reassurance regarding stomach cancer, the authors cautioned that long-term PPI use can still cause other side effects, including Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea, osteoporosis and malabsorption issues.
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