Longer Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Diabetes Risk
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Long-term use of a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) was associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in a large, population-based case-control study in Italy. The risk of diabetes increased from 19% to 56% as treatment duration increased from 8 weeks to more than 2 years, and prolonged treatment was associated with an even higher risk of diabetes in the youngest patients (age 40-65) and those with the most comorbidities. The results suggest that "physicians should therefore avoid unnecessary prescription of this class of drugs, particularly for long-term use," say Stefano Ciardullo, MD, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, and colleagues, in their article recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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@palash Ultimately, there do not seem to be enough data to support a change in clinical practice from this study alone and, as a result, clinicians should continue to inform patients of the best available evidence regarding the benefits and risks of PPIs.