INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 3 A U.S. report says long-term use of stomach acid blockers such as Pepcid and Zantac may be linked to cognitive impairment in some older adults.
The Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute study found that older African-American adults who used histamine2 receptor antagonists (H2A) for long periods of time were 2 1/2 times more likely to show signs of cognitive impairment.
The acid blockers, including ranitidine and famotidine, are sold under brand names such as Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac.
"Taking these medications continuously appears to put older African-Americans at greater risk for the development of cognitive impairment," Dr. Malaz Boustani, lead author of the study, said Friday in a release. "We need to study this further to determine how acid blockers might be causing or creating this effect and if it occurs only in African-Americans."
The report was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
