Effect of proton pump inhibitors on bone mineral density: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Effects of Prolonged Proton-Pump Inhibitor Use on Renal Dysfunction and Bone Fragility

BACKGROUND

Proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use for management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) consists of a short-duration trial, according to guidelines. Long-term usage is appropriate under certain indications. Literature has increasingly documented an adverse effect profile of PPIs, including kidney disease and bone fragility.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the rate of occurrence of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients using PPI therapy for longer than the recommended trial period of 8 weeks.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort analysis of a single-site primary care clinic. Patients aged 18 to 65 years with PPI prescriptions longer than 8 weeks were included. Information regarding PPI prescriptions, demographics, and medical diagnoses was collected.

RESULTS

The search discovered 293 PPI-users and 1908 never-PPI-users. Demographics varied, with a P-value <0.05 in age, body mass index (BMI), and black population (higher in PPI group). The PPI cohort featured higher rates of osteoporosis/osteopenia and CKD (P < 0.001). The odds ratios (ORs) of diagnosis with PPI use was 2.91 (95% CI = [1.692, 4.979]) in osteoporosis/osteopenia. The OR was 1.14 (95% CI = [1.141, 2.229]) in CKD and PPI use but higher with diabetes, elevated BMI, black race, and male gender.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

We observed increased occurrence rates of osteoporosis, or osteopenia, and CKD in patients with prolonged PPI use. Demographics varied in age, BMI, and black race proportion. A logistic regression revealed increased likelihood of kidney disease and osteoporosis/osteopenia in association with PPI use. These results add to the evidence regarding long-term PPI use and the development of these conditions, but additional studies are needed.

Effect of long-term proton pump inhibitors on phosphocalcium metabolism and bone mineral density

Aim: Although Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are well-tolerated, their long-term use may be associated with decreased bone mass. Methods: This is a case-control study including patients treated with PPIs (>1 year) and control subjects who have not received PPIs treatment. Results: A total of 90 patients and 90 matched controls were included. PPIs use was associated with hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. Vitamin D3 deficiency and hyperparathyroidism were associated with PPIs use. Long-term PPIs use was significantly associated with decreased bone density. Risk factors of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) included age >50 years, menopause, lack of sun exposure, double PPIs dose, daily intake, post-meal intake and association with a mucoprotective agent. Conclusion: Our results highlight the risk of decreased BMD in patients on long-term PPIs treatment.

Osseous implications of proton pump inhibitor therapy: An umbrella review

Background

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed medications worldwide for acid-related disorders. While their short-term efficacy and safety are well-established, concerns regarding their long-term effects on bone health have emerged. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the available findings on the associations between PPI use and bone metabolism outcomes.

Methods

An electronic search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Database up to September 16, 2023. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that evaluated the relationship between PPIs and bone metabolism outcomes were included. Data extraction, quality appraisal, and synthesis were performed in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA guidelines. The strength of the evidence was graded using the GRADE criteria. Statistical analysis was performed in R version 4.3.

Results

Out of 299 records, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. The evidence indicated a statistically significant increased risk of fractures, notably hip, spine, and wrist fractures, in PPI users. PPI use was associated with changes in Bone Mineral Density (BMD) across various bones, though the clinical relevance of these changes remains uncertain. Furthermore, PPI-induced hypomagnesemia, which can influence bone health, was identified. A notable finding was the increased risk of dental implant failures in PPI users. However, the certainty of most of the evidence ranged from very low to low based on GRADE criteria.

Conclusion

The long-term use of PPIs may be associated with adverse bone health outcomes, including increased fracture risk, alterations in BMD, hypomagnesemia, and dental implant failure. While these findings highlight potential concerns for long-term PPI users, the current evidence's low certainty underscores the need for robust, high-quality research to clarify these associations.

CYP2C19 genotypes and osteoporotic fractures in long-term users of proton pump inhibitors: A hospital-based study

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed medications. The existing data suggest that individuals at a high risk of fractures have been exposed to high doses of PPIs for prolonged durations. CYP2C19 plays a pivotal role in metabolism of PPIs and thereby influences their pharmacokinetic profile. Hence, we hypothesize that CYP2C19 genotypes may be associated with fragility fracture among PPIs users due to PPI exposure. This study aimed to investigate the association between CYP2C19 genotypes, bone mineral density (BMD), and osteoporotic fracture in a hospital-based population. This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who were prescribed long-term PPIs at Taichung Veterans General Hospital using data extracted from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative between January 2010 and April 2021. Associations between CYP2C19 phenotypes, comorbidities, and fractures in PPI users were analyzed. We enrolled 1518 long-term PPI users; 571 (38%), 727 (48%), and 220 (14%) CYP2C19 normal metabolizers (NMs), intermediate metabolizers (IMs), and poor metabolizers (PMs), respectively. Among them, 49 (3.2%) patients developed fractures within the 1-year follow-up period; 20 (3.5%) fractures in NMs, 24 (3.3%) in IMs, and 5 (2.3%) in PMs, respectively. No significant difference was observed among CYP2C19 genotypes and fracture. Additionally, BMD measurements during the 1-year follow-up period were made available among 75 participants. No significant difference in BMD between CYP2C19 PMs and non-PMs was found. This real-world, hospital-based study concludes that CYP2C19 PMs/IMs are not associated with an increased risk for fractures or reduced BMD in individuals on long-term PPI therapy.

Pantoprazole-Induced Bone Loss through Gastrin Secretion: A Stereological Study

Background

Recent researches have failed to uncover a clear explanation for proton pump inhibitors' bone-loss effects. In light of pantoprazole's effects on gastrin secretion, the goal of this study was to see if it caused bone loss through gastrin secretion.

Methods

Forty male rats were divided into control, octreotide (Oct), pantoprazole (Pan), and pantoprazole plus octreotide (Pan+Oct) groups. Serum calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and gastrin were measured before and three months after the treatment, and bone densitometry was examined. The rats' femoral bones were examined stereologically at the end of the investigation.

Results

The Pan group had considerably greater levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and gastrin, but this was prevented in the presence of Oct, a gastrin secretion inhibitor. All parameters of femoral bone densitometry in the Pan group were significantly lower than the control after treatment which was considerably inhibited in the presence of Oct. Furthermore, when compared to the control and Oct groups, the rats in the Pan group had a lower trabecular volume, femur bone weight, and volume, as well lower number of osteocytes. The amount of osteoclasts, on the other hand, was much higher in the Pan group than in the other groups.

Conclusion

Overall findings revealed that pantoprazole caused bone loss, which could be prevented by adding octreotide. Because these detrimental effects were not detected in rats given both Oct and Pan, it was suggested that the effect of Pan on bone was produced by a hypergastrinemic condition.

The Effect of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Early Implant Failure A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background and Objectives: Maintenance of a firm and long-term stable osseointegration is the primary goal of implant dentistry. Time is used to define implant failure characteristics. Early implant failure (EIF) occurs up to one year after loading. Recent studies indicated an association between proton pump inhibitors (PPI) therapy and failure of osseointegration. The present study assessed whether the use of PPIs is a risk factor to EIF. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study including 687 patients and 2971 dental implants. The study group (PPIs users) comprised 17.3% (119) individuals and 18.7% (555) implants. The remaining cohort (82.7% (568) individuals and 81.3% (2416) implants) served as control. The information was taken from the patients' files. The following information was collected: age, gender, physical status, systemic diseases, HbA1C values before and after implant-supported prosthesis delivery in cases of diabetes mellitus, smoking, implant location, number of implants per individual, bone augmentation, implant brand, length and width, and EIF. EIF was defined as implant removal within a period of up to 12 months from loading. Results: EIF in PPIs vs. non-PPIs users was 19.3% vs. 14.3% (p = 0.16) at patient level and 5.4% vs. 3.5% at implant level (p = 0.03). Univariate analysis yielded factors significantly associated with PPIs use, including older age, physical status of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) 3, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, cardiovascular accident (CVA), location (anterior mandible), shorter and narrower implants, and higher number of implants per individual. Multivariate analysis yielded statistically significant OR of 1.91; p = 0.01 for EIF following PPIs use and 2.3; p < 0.001 for location in anterior mandible. Conclusions: Patients and their healthcare providers are advised to carefully consider the potential risks of taking PPIs prior to dental implant surgery. Further research is needed to confirm these risks and elucidate systemic and local factors that may be involved in such outcomes.

The influence of proton pump inhibitors on tissue attachment around teeth and dental implants: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole and pantoprazole, are frequently prescribed for the treatment of acid reflux. However, those medications have been shown to affect a variety of physiologic processes, including bone homeostasis and the gastrointestinal microbiome. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between proton pump inhibitors and attachment levels around teeth and dental implants. A scoping review was performed to assess the extent and quality of the relevant literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and searched four relevant biomedical literature databases in addition to the grey literature. Keywords in the title and abstract fields, and subject headings for proton pump inhibitors, teeth, and dental implants were included as search terms.

RESULTS

Overall search results identified 791 publications which, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, yielded 27 publications that were further analyzed for relevance and quality of scientific evidence. The majority of eligible publications were retrospective cohort studies. Following critical analysis, 13 publications, including six abstracts, were used to assess the effect of proton pump inhibitors on tissue attachment around teeth and dental implants.

CONCLUSIONS

There are few high-quality studies describing the effect of proton pump inhibitors on tissue attachment around teeth and dental implants. Nevertheless, among the included papers with the fewest confounding factors, there was a positive relationship between proton pump inhibitors and soft tissue attachment levels around teeth, and a predominantly negative but variable effect of proton pump inhibitors on the bone level around dental implants. Additional well-controlled prospective studies are required to fully elucidate those relationships.

Proton Pump Inhibitors and Bone Health: An Update Narrative Review

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are an antacid drug often used in acid-related disorders. They decrease acid secretion in the stomach by blocking an enzyme called H+/K+ ATPase which controls acid production. Introduced to the market in 1989, their use has increased rapidly worldwide and they are now among the top 10 most prescribed drugs in the United States. As of 2015, the FDA has already approved six drugs of this class (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, dexlansoprazole, pantoprazole and rabeprazole). Recently, the risks and benefits of long-term PPI use were questioned and many studies indicated that their use should be carefully considered, especially in young patients, whose treatment with these drugs could last many years. Even greater concerns have been raised about a potential positive association between PPIs and osteoporotic fracture risk including the hip, spine and wrist. Although based on observational studies, there is substantial evidence associating the long-term use of PPIs and fracture. This relationship is only partially admitted due to the lack of consistent effects of PPIs on bone mineral density loss. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to discuss the recent findings pertaining to the risk of osteoporotic fracture associated with PPIs, in particular prolonged use, and to call for further research to elucidate the mechanisms associated with this bone fragility.

Association of proton-pump inhibitor use with adverse health outcomes: A systematic umbrella review of meta-analyses of cohort studies and randomised controlled trials

AIMS

The aim was to perform an umbrella review to summarise the existing evidence on proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and adverse outcomes and to grade the certainty of evidence.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched up to July 2021 for meta-analyses of cohort studies and/or randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Summary effect sizes from a random-effects model, between-study heterogeneity, 95% prediction interval, small-study effect, excess significance and credibility ceilings were devised to classify the credibility of evidence from meta-analyses of cohort studies, whereas the GRADE approach was used for meta-analyses of RCTs.

RESULTS

In meta-analyses of cohort studies, 52 of the 91 examined associations were statistically significant (P ≤ .05). Convincing evidence emerged from main analysis for the association between PPI use and risk of all-site fracture and chronic kidney disease in the elderly population. However, none of these associations remained supported by convincing evidence after sensitivity analyses. The use of PPI is also associated with an increased risk of mortality due to COVID-19 infection and other related adverse outcomes, but the quality of evidence was weak. In meta-analyses of RCTs, 38 of the 63 examined associations were statistically significant. However, no associations were supported by high or moderate-quality evidence.

CONCLUSION

This study's findings imply that most putative adverse outcomes associated with PPI use may not be supported by high-quality evidence and are likely to have been affected by underlying confounding factors. Future research is needed to confirm the causal association between PPI use and risk of fracture and chronic kidney disease.

Do patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease exhibit compromised bone quality prior to proton pump inhibitor therapy?

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are routinely treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), despite many reports of increased fracture risk associated with PPI use. Notably, the skeletal properties in patients with GERD prior to PPI therapy have not been addressed. We hypothesized that PPI-naïve GERD patients have bone impairment, and that short-term treatment with PPI has minimal skeletal effects. To test this, 17 (12 men/5 women) GERD patients age 32–73 years, not previously exposed to PPI, and 17 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled from September 2010 to December 2012. Bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, and trabecular bone score (TBS) at the lumbar spine, a marker of bone microarchitecture, were measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Markers of bone turnover and calcium homeostasis, and gastric hormones were analyzed. The same parameters were measured after three months of treatment with the PPI pantoprazole. The GERD patients displayed a significantly lower TBS at baseline than controls (1.31 ± 0.11 vs. 1.43 ± 0.07, p = 0.0006). Total hip and femoral neck BMD were lower in patients compared to controls, however, not significantly (p = 0.09 and 0.12, respectively). CTX was non-significantly higher in GERD patients at baseline (p = 0.11). After three months, changes in BMD, TBS and CTX did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, this is the first report demonstrating compromised bone quality and inferior BMD in PPI-naïve GERD patients. Treatment with pantoprazole did not influence bone parameters, indicating that short-term use with this PPI is safe for the skeleton.

•

Previous studies have reported an increased fracture risk in PPI users.

•

Patients with GERD had compromised bone quality before starting PPI.

•

Three months treatment with pantoprazole did not influence bone parameters.