The discomfort brought about by acid reflux often compels patients to use medicines on a regular basis. Those who do this for a short period may not worry too much, however, for those who have been taking acid reflux medications for a long period of time may have to start checking their blood glucose levels. A recent study showed that using these medications for a long period increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in the journal Gut, titled, "Regular use of proton pump inhibitors and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studies," showed that using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for a long period may lead to certain adverse health effects. Researchers noted that long-term use of PPIs can create a major impact on the microbiome of the gut. Although the evidence is still unclear, researchers revealed that this has the propensity of increasing type 2 diabetes risk.

Scientists from the Seventh Affiliate Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University in Shenzhen, China analysed nearly 204,689 participants. They looked into three U.S. cohorts namely Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Nurses'Health Study, and NHS II. They found that the risk of diabetes for those who regularly use PPI was 7.44/1000 persons. On the other hand, those who were not regular users of PPI showed a lower risk of 4.32/1000 persons, a significantly reduced number.

At the end of the study, researchers concluded that with over 0.2 million participants, who indicated regular use of PPI, there was an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. They urged clinicians to carefully balance the pros and cons associated with prescribing PPIs, especially when the duration would be for long-term. They also noted that the duration of using PPIs is directly proportional to the associated risk. This means that the longer the use, the higher the risk.

The researchers underscored that it is not just the risk of type 2 diabetes that is a concern, but there are other health problems linked to PPI-use. These would include bone fracture and infections of the small intestine called enteric infections.

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The researchers recommended that those who would be receiving long-term treatment using PPIs must be screened for abnormal blood glucose levels, as well as for type 2 diabetes.