GERD is extremely common, with up to one in four American adults experiencing symptoms at least once a month. The mainstay of treatment is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which reduce stomach acid and relieve heartburn. In recent years, several observational studies have suggested a possible link between PPI therapy and risk of osteoporosis with bone fractures.

Dr. Karen Hansen and her team performed a randomized, placebo-controlled study in postmenopausal women to test the potential effect of PPIs on bone loss, calcium absorption and mineral levels, which was presented at DDW 2017. To learn more about this research, check out this new blog post on Healio Gastroenterology where Dr. Hansen shares her findings — that there were no PPI-related significant changes in bone loss.

Dr. Hansen presented data from the study “A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter 26-week study on the effects of dexlansoprazole and esomeprazole on bone homeostasis in healthy postmenopausal women,” abstract 240, on Sunday, May 7, at 8 a.m. CT, at McCormick Place in Chicago.