Long-term use of Proton Pump Inhibitors, Dose-response Relationship, and Associated Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Myocardial Infarction

Background Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been associated with cardiovascular disease amongst patients not on antiplatelet therapy. The associations of PPI use, duration and dose, with risk of first-time ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) are poorly understood. Methods All Danish individuals with no prior history of MI or stroke, who had an elective upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed between 1997 and 2012, were identified from nationwide registries. We used multiple Poisson regression to test associations with current PPI use and its dose and used multiple cause-specific Cox regression and g-formula methods to analyze long-term use. Results Amongst 214 998 individuals, during a median follow-up of 5.8 years, there were 7916 ischemic strokes and 5608 MIs. Current PPI exposure was associated with significantly higher rates of both ischemic stroke (Hazard ratio (HR) 1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.19) and MI (HR 1.31, CI 1.23–1.39) after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities and concomitant medication. High-dose PPI was associated with increased rates of ischemic stroke (HR 1.31, CI 1.21–1.42) and MI (HR 1.43, CI 1.30–1.57). Histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) use was not significantly associated with ischemic stroke (HR 1.02, CI 0.84–1.24) or MI (HR 1.15, CI 0.92–1.43). Long-term users of PPIs, compared with nonusers, had a 29% (CI 5%-59%) greater absolute risk of ischemic stroke and a 36% (CI 7%-73%) greater risk of MI within a 6-month period. Conclusion Use of PPIs was associated with increased risks of first-time ischemic stroke and MI, particularly amongst long-term users and at high doses.