Medicine Grand Rounds, Nicholas Shaheen “PPI Therapy: Is the Risk Worth the Benefit?”

The internet is rife with warnings about the side effects of acid suppressants. With millions of people taking these drugs, new reports about dementia, kidney damage, bone fracture and other putative side effects cause much concern for patients and providers. But how much of it is true? And what should we do about it? The goals of this lecture are to review the possible side effects of acid suppressants, to provide a framework for understanding the convoluted literature on PPI side effects, and to give some practical guidance for advising your patients regarding the use of acid suppressants.

Dr. Shaheen is Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He has performed extensive clinical and translational research in diseases of the esophagus, include GERD, Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer. He has authored over 300 articles on these diseases, including national guidelines for the care of patients with GERD and Barrett’s esophagus.

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