Dr. Stephen Wangen is the co-founder and Medical Director of the IBS Treatment Center. He is a licensed and board certified physician, the award winning author of two books on solving digestive disorders, and a nationally recognized speaker. If you take a top-selling class of drugs to relieve heartburn and acid reflux, you may be at greater risk of having a heart attack than people who take other types of acid-suppressing medications.
In a recent study, researchers found that adults who were prescribed proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) as a treatment for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) were 16 to 21 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack over a 17-year period. Even a modest boost in PPIs could translate into a sizable increase in heart attacks in the U.S., because millions of Americans are taking these acid-reducing drugs.
What does this mean for people who take heartburn medications?
Stephen Wangen, ND, discusses the recent study and if there are other alternatives to treating heartburn.
Heartburn Drugs Linked to Heart Attack Risk
Guest
: Stephen Wangen, ND
From the Show: Health Radio
Summary: What are these specific drugs and why are the linked to heart attack risk?
Air Date: 7/6/15
Duration: 10
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
