Post-menopausal women who take a common type of indigestion drug are more likely to suffer hip fractures, a new study has found.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital found women taking so-called “proton pump inhibitors” (PPIs) are 35 percent more likely to suffer hip fractures than those who don’t take PPIs, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal.
Women who take the drugs and are also current or former smokers face even higher dangers – a 50 percent increased risk of hip fractures – the study found.
PPIs are among the most common medicines used worldwide and are often used to treat heartburn and acid reflux. But they can block the absorption of bone-strengthening calcium, which leads to the increased risk of fractures.

To reach their conclusions, researchers tracked 80,000 post-menopausal women from 2000 to 2008. Of the women in the study, 893 suffered hip fractures during that period – with those taking PPIs at greater risk than those who did not.
“Because of this, the Food and Drug Administration [may] wish to revise labeling on these drugs and the authors stress the importance of evaluating the need for long-term use of PPIs among those with a history of smoking,” the researchers wrote.