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Why Osteoporosis is On the Rise
Recently, I did some radio and TV interviews on the topic of osteoporosis. Rates are increasing, especially in men; 55% of people over the age 50 have osteoporosis; and another 34 million or so have low bone density.
As a pharmacist, I feel obligated to warn people that one of the contributing factors to these increased rates is taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs that reduce or block the production of gastric acid. I’m talking about proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other acid blocking drugs like H2 antagonists for heartburn and ulcers.
Besides lowering B12 absorption which influences red blood cells and homocysteine levels, these drugs reduce stomach acid so effectively, they keep your body from absorbing calcium, and therefore can reduce bone density.
In people aged 50 and over, PPIs are associated with a 2.6 times increased risk of hip fracture when taken for over one year. The longer you use PPIs, the greater your risk of fracture.1 In 2003, one PPI became available over the counter. Needless to say, this tremendously increased the use of this class of drug. Used short term, acid blockers and PPIs are not a problem, but many people use them for much longer than the recommended few months.
