One of the most popularly prescribed heartburn medications in the US has been linked to an increased risk of ischemic stroke, according to the preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association Conference in New Orleans on Tuesday.

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is an over-the-counter drug that is being used by millions of Americans to treat acid reflux and heartburn.

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Heartburn is the irritation of the esophagus because of the "backing up" of stomach acid. When the heartburns continue for more than twice a week, it can lead to chronic heartburn which is commonly called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). 

However, PPIs have been associated with unhealthy vascular function such as heart attack, kidney disease, and dementia.  This prompted the study by Dr. Thomas Sehested, the lead author and researcher at the Danish Heart Foundation.

"We wanted to see if PPIs also posed a risk for ischemic stroke, especially given their increasing use in the general population," Sehested said.

What does the study show?

Researchers used the data from 1997 to 2012 on more than 244,000 Danish adults who never had a stroke with an average follow-up time of six years.

During the follow-up period, it was observed that nearly 9,500 people in the study had a stroke with an increased risk of 21 percent for ischemic stroke compared with non-users of PPIs. This increased has been linked to the dosage of the PPIs. 

Patients who have received the highest doses of PPIs have an increased risk of ischemic stroke unlike to those who have received the lowest doses and have only little risk as if there is no increase ar all.

"At one time, PPIs were thought to be safe, without major side effects. This study further questions the cardiovascular safety of these drugs," Sehested said.

Moreover, researchers noted that PPIs are not the only medicine that could treat heartburn, there is another medication called Histamin H2 antagonist such as famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac). These medications were found to have no association with ischemic stroke risk.

Although the study found a link between heartburn medication PPIs and ischemic stroke risk, it does not prove its cause and effect. Researchers suggested that more studies are needed, and doctors should consider if and for how long patients should take these drugs.

Furthermore, patients are encouraged to always visit and ask for their doctors' advise before starting or stopping any medication - prescribed or over the counter.

TagsHeartburn, High Risk, Ischemic Stroke, cardiovascular, safety, proton pump inhibitors