Acid suppressant use in association with incidence and severe outcomes of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Analyzing Prescribing Trends of Gastric Acid Suppressants in the UK Using Segmented Regression: Evaluating the Influence of COVID-19 (2019-2024)

BACKGROUND

This study explored the prescribing patterns of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the dynamic relationship between emerging evidence, regulatory actions, and clinical practices.

METHODS

Using a repeated cross-sectional design, prescription data from July 2019 to May 2024 were analyzed across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Segmented regression analysis was employed to assess trends before and after January 2022, reflecting the impact of emerging evidence on prescribing behaviors.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant increase in famotidine prescriptions, from 57.56 to 303.31 per 100,000 population in England post-January 2022, reflecting early adoption of preliminary findings despite the lack of randomized controlled trial confirmation. Ranitidine prescriptions fell to near zero due to contamination concerns, while PPIs like omeprazole remained the most prescribed, with Wales reporting the highest post-2022 usage at 7445.71 per 100,000 population.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to deprescribing guidelines was inconsistent, with a possibility that many PPI users lacked documented indications. Regional variations in prescribing trends highlighted differences in guideline implementation. These findings underscore the need for improved evidence dissemination and adherence to prescribing guidelines. Future research should include patient-level data and long-term evaluations to optimize healthcare practices.

Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Children

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use on COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in children.

STUDY DESIGN

This retrospective, case-control study included all children ≤21 years undergoing COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction testing at a tertiary children's hospital between March 2020 and January 2023. The main exposure was PPI usage. The primary outcome was COVID-19 infection. The secondary outcome was COVID-19 hospitalization. Log-binomial regressions were used to examine associations between PPI use and these outcomes.

RESULTS

116 209 patients age 8.5 ± 6.2 years underwent 234 867 COVID-19 tests. Current PPI use was associated with a decreased risk of COVID-19 test positivity compared with PPI nonuse [RR 0.85 (95% CI 0.76, 0.94), P = .002]; however, there was a significant interaction with time of testing, and an effect of PPIs was no longer seen in the final months of the study following lessening of COVID-19 precautions [RR 1.04 (95% CI 0.0.80, 1.36), P = .77]. PPI use was not associated with risk of hospitalization in patients positive for COVID-19 after adjusting for other hospitalization risk factors [RR 0.85 (95% CI 0.64, 1.13), P = .26].

CONCLUSIONS

We did not find an association between PPI use and increased COVID-19 susceptibility or severity in this pediatric sample. These results provide reassuring evidence that PPIs may not worsen COVID-19 outcomes in children.

Proton pump inhibitors and risk of severe COVID-19 in older people

INTRODUCTION

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a viral respiratory infection that can cause systemic disorders and lead to death, particularly in older people. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increase the risk of enteric and lung infections. Considering the broad use of PPIs in older people, the potential role of PPIs in COVID-19 could be of dramatic significance. The objective of our study was to evaluate the link between PPIs and severe COVID-19 in older people.

METHOD

We performed a retrospective cohort study, including all patients aged ≥65, hospitalised for a diagnosis of COVID-19. Epidemiological, clinical and biological data were extracted and we performed an Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighing method based on a propensity score.

RESULTS

From March 2020 to February 2021, a total of 834 patients were included, with a median age of 83 and 52.8% were male. A total of 410 patients had a PPIs prescription, 358 (87.3%) were long-term PPIs-users and 52 (12.7%) were recent PPIs-users. Among PPIs-users, 163 (39.8%) patients developed severe COVID-19 versus 113 (26.7%) in PPIs-non users (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59 [1.18-2.14]; P < 0.05). Moreover, the double dose PPI-users had a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 (OR = 3.36 [1.17-9.66]; P < 0.05) than the full dose PPI-users (OR = 2.15 [1.22-3.76]; P < 0.05) and the half dose PPI-users (OR = 1.64 [1.13-2.37]; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study reports evidence that the use of PPIs was associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in older people.

H. Pylori Treatment in the COVID-19 Era. What Have We Learned So Far?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

CoronaVirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has negatively influenced the management of multiple conditions in regards to the gastroenterology patient. An equivalent change in the management of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-related diseases was reported, as practically no eradication treatment was offered during most of the pandemic. Given the scarcity of published data, we performed a literature review trying to elucidate the effect of COVID-19 on H. pylori treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

COVID-19 has produced more questions than answers as to the outcome of COVID-19 in H. Pylori infected patients, post-COVID-19 patients treated for H. pylori, acid suppression and COVID-19 incidence and outcomes, and H. pylori eradication treatment in patients having recovered from COVID-19. We strongly believe that this scientific uncertainty produced by the COVID-19 pandemic has set up the stage for an incremental change in H. pylori treatment as COVID-19 has offered us the chance to speed up how we will, in the near future, approach patients with a possible Η. pylori infection.

Wastewater surveillance of pharmaceuticals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico City and the Mezquital Valley: A comprehensive environmental risk assessment

This study tracked five pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in Mexico City's sewage, namely, famotidine, indomethacin, dexamethasone, azithromycin, and ivermectin, which were used to treat COVID-19. The monitoring campaign was carried out over 30 months (May 2020 to November 2022), covering the five COVID-19 waves in Mexico. In the Central Emitter, the main sewage outflow, famotidine displayed levels of 132.57 ± 28.16 ng L-1 (range from < LOQ to 189.1 ng L-1), followed by indomethacin (average 672.46 ± 116.4 ng L-1, range from 516.7 to 945.2 ng L-1), dexamethasone (average 610.4 ± 225.7 ng L-1, range from 233.4 to 1044.5 ng L-1), azithromycin (average 4436.2 ± 903.6 ng L-1, range from 2873.7 to 5819.6 ng L-1), and ivermectin (average 3413.3 ± 1244.6 ng L-1, range from 1219.8 to 4622.4 ng L-1). The concentrations of dexamethasone, azithromycin and ivermectin were higher in sewage from a temporary COVID-19 care unit, by a factor of 3.48, 3.52 and 2.55, respectively, compared with those found in municipal wastewater. In the effluent of the Atotonilco Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWWTP), which treats near 60 % of the Mexico City's sewage, famotidine was absent, while concentrations of indomethacin, dexamethasone, azithromycin and ivermectin were 78.2 %, 76.7 %, 74.4 %, and 88.1 % lower than those in the influent, respectively. The occurrence of PhACs in treated and untreated wastewater resulted in medium to high environmental risk since Mexico City's wastewater is reused for irrigation in the Mezquital Valley. There, PhACs were found in irrigation canals at lower levels than those observed in Mexico City throughout the monitoring. On the other hand, famotidine, indomethacin, and dexamethasone were not found in surface water resulting from the infiltration of wastewater through soil in Mezquital Valley, while azithromycin and ivermectin sporadically appeared in surface water samples collected through 2021. Using an optimized risk assessment based on a semi-probabilistic approach, the PhACs were prioritized as ivermectin > azithromycin > dexamethasone > famotidine > indomethacin.

The Real Relevance of Nonacid Reflux in Pediatric Patients

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is one of the most common presenting complaints to pediatric gastroenterologists, and a wide variety of symptoms in children are potentially attributable to typical or atypical GER. While reflux diagnosis and treatment paradigms classically have focused on targeting acid, there is a growing recognition of the prevalence and significance of nonacid GER in both children and adults. This review explores the role of nonacid reflux in pediatric patients, including definitions, associations with symptoms, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and treatment implications.

Adverse Effects Associated with Long-Term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors

Proton Pump Inhibitors are used widely to manage many gastric acid-related conditions such as gastroesophageal disease, gastritis, esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, peptic ulcer disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated ulcers, and Helicobacter pylori eradication, around the globe. This review article focuses on adverse effects associated with the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors. Various observational studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses have established the adverse effects associated with the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors including renal disorders (acute interstitial nephritis, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease), cardiovascular risks (major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and stroke), fractures, infections (Clostridium difficile infection, community-acquired pneumonia, and Coronavirus disease 2019), micronutrient deficiencies (hypomagnesemia, anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia), hypergastrinemia, cancers (gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatic cancer), hepatic encephalopathy, and dementia. Clinicians including prescribers and pharmacists should be aware of the adverse effects of taking proton pump inhibitors for an extended period of time. In addition, the patients taking proton pump inhibitors for long-term should be monitored for the listed adverse effects. The American Gastroenterological association recommends a few non-pharmacological measures and the use of histamine 2 blockers to lessen gastrointestinal symptoms of gastroesophageal reflex disease and the utilization of proton pump inhibitors treatment if there is a definitive indication. Additionally, the American Gastroenterological association's Best Practice Advice statements emphasize deprescribing when there is no clear indication for proton pump inhibitors therapy.

Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists and Proton Pump Inhibitors Are Associated With Reduced Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Without Comorbidities Including Diabetes, Hypertension, and Dyslipidemia: A Propensity Score-Matched Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify the effect of histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use on the positivity rate and clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

METHODS

We performed a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching using medical claims data and general health examination results from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Individuals aged ≥ 20 years who were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between 1 January and 4 June 2020 were included. Patients who were prescribed H2RA or PPI within 1 year of the test date were defined as H2RA and PPI users, respectively. The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 test positivity, and the secondary outcome was the instance of severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19, including death, intensive care unit admission, and mechanical ventilation administration.

RESULTS

Among 59,094 patients tested for SARS-CoV-2, 21,711 were H2RA users, 12,426 were PPI users, and 24,957 were non-users. After propensity score matching, risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly lower in H2RA users (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.98) and PPI users (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52-0.74) compared to non-users. In patients with comorbidities including diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, the effect of H2RA and PPI against SARS-CoV-2 infection was not significant, whereas the protective effect was maintained in patients without such comorbidities. Risk of severe clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients showed no difference between users and non-users after propensity score matching either in H2RA users (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.52-1.54) or PPI users (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.60-2.51).

CONCLUSION

H2RA and PPI use is associated with a decreased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection but does not affect clinical outcome. Comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia seem to offset the protective effect of H2RA and PPI.

The Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Miscellaneous Inflammatory Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract

The novel coronavirus pandemic of COVID-19 has emerged as a highly significant recent threat to global health with about 600,000,000 known infections and more than 6,450,000 deaths worldwide since its emergence in late 2019. COVID-19 symptoms are predominantly respiratory, with mortality largely related to pulmonary manifestations, but the virus also potentially infects all parts of the gastrointestinal tract with related symptoms and manifestations that affect patient treatment and outcome. COVID-19 can directly infect the gastrointestinal tract because of the presence of widespread angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors in the stomach and small intestine that can cause local COVID-19 infection and associated inflammation. This work reviews the pathopysiology, clinical manifestations, workup, and treatment of miscellaneous inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract other than inflammatory bowel disease.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may cause liver injury via Na+/H+ exchanger

The liver has many significant functions, such as detoxification, the urea cycle, gluconeogenesis, and protein synthesis. Systemic diseases, hypoxia, infections, drugs, and toxins can easily affect the liver, which is extremely sensitive to injury. Systemic infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can cause liver damage. The primary regulator of intracellular pH in the liver is the Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (NHE). Physiologically, NHE protects hepatocytes from apoptosis by making the intracellular pH alkaline. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 increases local angiotensin II levels by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. In severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019, high angi-otensin II levels may cause NHE overstimulation and lipid accumulation in the liver. NHE overstimulation can lead to hepatocyte death. NHE overstimulation may trigger a cytokine storm by increasing proinflammatory cytokines in the liver. Since the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 increases with NHE activation, the virus may indirectly cause an increase in fibrinogen and D-dimer levels. NHE overstimulation may cause thrombotic events and systemic damage by increasing fibrinogen levels and cytokine release. Also, NHE overstimulation causes an increase in the urea cycle while inhibiting vitamin D synthesis and gluconeogenesis in the liver. Increasing NHE3 activity leads to Na⁺ loading, which impairs the containment and fluidity of bile acid. NHE overstimulation can change the gut microbiota composition by disrupting the structure and fluidity of bile acid, thus triggering systemic damage. Unlike other tissues, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and angiotensin II decrease NHE3 activity in the intestine. Thus, increased luminal Na⁺ leads to diarrhea and cytokine release. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-induced local and systemic damage can be improved by preventing virus-induced NHE overstimulation in the liver.

Acid Suppressive Drugs

Histamine H₂ receptor antagonists (H₂RAs) suppress gastric acid production by blocking H₂ receptors in parietal cells. Studies have shown that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are superior to H₂RAs as a treatment for acid-related disorders, such as peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). PPIs reduce gastric acid production by irreversibly inhibiting the H⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump, and they also increase gastric emptying. Although PPIs have differing pharmacokinetic properties, each PPI is effective in managing GERD and PUDs. However, PPIs have some limitations, including short plasma half-lives, breakthrough symptoms (especially at night), meal-associated dosing, and concerns associated with long-term PPI use. Potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) provide more rapid and profound suppression of intragastric acidity than PPIs. P-CABs are non-inferior to lansoprazole in healing erosive esophagitis and peptic ulcers, and may also be effective in improving symptoms in patients with non-erosive reflux disease. Acid suppressive drugs are the most commonly used drugs in clinical practice, and it is necessary to understand the pharmacological properties and adverse effects of each drug.

Novel Advances in the Evaluation and Treatment of Children With Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease has long been implicated as a cause for multiple pediatric symptoms ranging from abdominal pain and regurgitation to cough and dental erosions. Diagnostic testing has evolved greatly over the last 20 years; initial testing with pH-metry to measure esophageal acid reflux burden has evolved into measurement of both acid and non-acid reflux and liquid and gas reflux. However, measuring reflux burden alone only tells a small part of the GERD story and many symptoms originally thought to be reflux related are, in fact, related to other disorder which mimic reflux. The current paradigm which involves empiric treatment of symptoms with acid suppression has been replaced with early testing for not only gastroesophageal reflux but also for other diagnostic masqueraders. The focus for interventions has shifted away from acid suppression toward motility interventions and includes a greater recognition of both functional and motility disorders which present with reflux symptoms.