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.
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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
