Proton pump inhibitors and risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Continuous (always [n=884] vs never [n=7677]) PPI use was associated with lower risk of decline in cognitive function (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.93; P=0.005) and lower risk of conversion to mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease (0.82 (0.69 to 0.98); P=0.03).

These study findings are in contrast to earlier findings which reported that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  

Researcher’s note that the strengths of their study included that their sample relied on diagnoses of cognitive status by experienced clinicians at academic medical centres and that patients were aged over 50, whereas previous studies had focused on patients in their 70s. However randomised controlled data are required to clarify the effect of PPI’s on cognition.