How to advise patients on the risk of chronic proton pump inhibitor therapy

The Effects of Pantoprazole on Kidney Outcomes: Post Hoc Observational Analysis from the COMPASS Trial

Key Points

In this post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole led to a faster rate of eGFR decline as compared with placebo. Additional studies are needed to determine the effect of proton pump inhibitors on those at higher risk of adverse kidney outcomes.

Background

Observational studies have found an association between proton pump inhibitor use and worsening kidney function. It is unclear whether these associations are causal. We conducted post hoc analyses to determine the effect of pantoprazole on kidney function using data from the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) trial, a 17,598-participant randomized trial comparing pantoprazole (8791) with placebo (8807).

Methods

The primary outcome was the rate of eGFR change. Rate of eGFR change was based on the two eGFR measures available: the eGFR at randomization and at the open-label extension study that enrolled at trial conclusion. Secondary outcomes included incident CKD (defined by eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 at open-label extension or case report forms) as well as AKI, acute nephritis, and nephrotic syndrome.

Results

Eight thousand nine hundred ninety-one of the 17,598 participants randomized to pantoprazole/placebo (51%) had eGFR recorded at baseline and open-label extension enrollment and were included in the rate of eGFR change population (mean age 67 [SD 8] years, 22% female, mean baseline eGFR 75 [SD 17.5] ml/min per 1.73 m2). The mean duration between randomization and open-label extension eGFR was 3.3 (SD 0.8) years. The placebo rate of eGFR change was −1.41 (SD 4.45) ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year. The pantoprazole rate of eGFR change was −1.64 (SD 4.47) ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year. In adjusted analyses, pantoprazole had a 0.27 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year greater decline in eGFR (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11 to 0.43). The odds ratio for the effect of pantoprazole on incident CKD was 1.11 (95% CI, 0.98 to 1.25) and on AKI was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.65 to 1.21). There were five nephrotic syndrome outcomes recorded and one event of acute nephritis.

Conclusions

In this post hoc analysis of the COMPASS trial, pantoprazole resulted in a statistically significant greater rate of eGFR decline as compared with placebo.

Clinical Trial registry name and registration number:

Rivaroxaban for the Prevention of Major Cardiovascular Events in Coronary or Peripheral Artery Disease (COMPASS), NCT01776424 .

Managing heartburn and reflux in primary care

ABSTRACT

This article describes an algorithmic approach to caring for patients presenting with heartburn and reflux, including empiric treatment with acid-suppression therapy and a data-driven approach to diagnostic testing. This article also reviews the efficacy and safety profile of the widely available and commonly used proton pump inhibitors. Refining our approach to diagnostic testing can reduce time to diagnosis, better control patients' symptoms, and limit complications of longstanding disease.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Personalized Approach to the Evaluation and Management of GERD: Expert Review

BACKGROUND & AIMS

As many as one-half of all patients with suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) do not derive benefit from acid suppression. This review outlines a personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approach to GERD symptoms.

METHODS

The Best Practice Advice statements presented here were developed from expert review of existing literature combined with extensive discussion and expert opinion to provide practical advice. Formal rating of the quality of evidence or strength of recommendations was not the intent of this clinical practice update. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: Clinicians should develop a care plan for investigation of symptoms suggestive of GERD, selection of therapy (with explanation of potential risks and benefits), and long-term management, including possible de-escalation, in a shared-decision making model with the patient. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: Clinicians should provide standardized educational material on GERD mechanisms, weight management, lifestyle and dietary behaviors, relaxation strategies, and awareness about the brain-gut axis relationship to patients with reflux symptoms. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Clinicians should emphasize safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for the treatment of GERD. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Clinicians should provide patients presenting with troublesome heartburn, regurgitation, and/or non-cardiac chest pain without alarm symptoms a 4- to 8-week trial of single-dose PPI therapy. With inadequate response, dosing can be increased to twice a day or switched to a more effective acid suppressive agent once a day. When there is adequate response, PPI should be tapered to the lowest effective dose. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: If PPI therapy is continued in a patient with unproven GERD, clinicians should evaluate the appropriateness and dosing within 12 months after initiation, and offer endoscopy with prolonged wireless reflux monitoring off PPI therapy to establish appropriateness of long-term PPI therapy. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: If troublesome heartburn, regurgitation, and/or non-cardiac chest pain do not respond adequately to a PPI trial or when alarm symptoms exist, clinicians should investigate with endoscopy and, in the absence of erosive reflux disease (Los Angeles B or greater) or long-segment (≥3 cm) Barrett's esophagus, perform prolonged wireless pH monitoring off medication (96-hour preferred if available) to confirm and phenotype GERD or to rule out GERD. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Complete endoscopic evaluation of GERD symptoms includes inspection for erosive esophagitis (graded according to the Los Angeles classification when present), diaphragmatic hiatus (Hill grade of flap valve), axial hiatus hernia length, and inspection for Barrett's esophagus (graded according to the Prague classification and biopsied when present). BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: Clinicians should perform upfront objective reflux testing off medication (rather than an empiric PPI trial) in patients with isolated extra-esophageal symptoms and suspicion for reflux etiology. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: In symptomatic patients with proven GERD, clinicians should consider ambulatory 24-hour pH-impedance monitoring on PPI as an option to determine the mechanism of persisting esophageal symptoms despite therapy (if adequate expertise exists for interpretation). BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: Clinicians should personalize adjunctive pharmacotherapy to the GERD phenotype, in contrast to empiric use of these agents. Adjunctive agents include alginate antacids for breakthrough symptoms, nighttime H2 receptor antagonists for nocturnal symptoms, baclofen for regurgitation or belch predominant symptoms, and prokinetics for coexistent gastroparesis. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: Clinicians should provide pharmacologic neuromodulation, and/or referral to a behavioral therapist for hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, diaphragmatic breathing, and relaxation strategies in patients with functional heartburn or reflux disease associated with esophageal hypervigilance reflux hypersensitivity and/or behavioral disorders. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: In patients with proven GERD, laparoscopic fundoplication and magnetic sphincter augmentation are effective surgical options, and transoral incisionless fundoplication is an effective endoscopic option in carefully selected patients. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 13: In patients with proven GERD, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is an effective primary anti-reflux intervention in obese patients, and a salvage option in non-obese patients, whereas sleeve gastrectomy has potential to worsen GERD. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 14: Candidacy for invasive anti-reflux procedures includes confirmatory evidence of pathologic GERD, exclusion of achalasia, and assessment of esophageal peristaltic function.

The Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitors and COVID-19 is Confounded by Hyperglycemia in a Population-Based Study

Background and Aims: There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and the risk of acquisition and severity of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Aim: To evaluate the association between PPI exposure and infection and development of severe disease in patients infected with SARS-CoV2in a large population-based historical cohort.

Methods: Data were extracted from a health maintenance organization database in Israel that insures over 1,200,000 individuals from across the country. All patients who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing between March and November 2020 were included. Logistic regression and matched analyses were used to compare patients prescribed and exposed to PPIs to those not prescribed PPIs regarding SARS-CoV-2 positivity. In addition, among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (n = 44,397) the likelihood of developing severe disease, defined by a composite endpoint of death, ICU admission and prolonged hospitalization, was compared in those exposed and not exposed to PPIs.

Results: Among 255,355 adult patients who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing by PCR, 44,397 (17.4%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 12,066 (4.7%) patients were prescribed PPIs in the 3 months before testing. In a multivariable logistic regression model controlling for age, gender, smoking status, BMI, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, COPD, history of ischemic heart disease and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, no significant association was found between PPIs and SARS-CoV-2 positivity (p = 0.09 aOR 0.94, 95% CI – 0.88–1.01). Among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 910 (2%) had a severe infection. Multivariate logistic regression controlling for the abovementioned confounders, showed no such association between PPIs and severe COVID-19 (p = 0.28). Elevated FBG levels were significantly associated with both PPI exposure (p < 0.001) and severe COVID-19 infection (p < 0.001). These results were reinforced by a matched analysis (n = 655 pairs).

Conclusion: PPIs are spuriously associated with severe COVID-19 due to the presence of elevated FBG as a confounder. Our study accounted for the FBG levels of patients and known risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, which may be the reason for the discrepancy in prior studies. These results may aid in understanding potential confounders when evaluating potential associations of PPIs with other respiratory or viral diseases.

Proton pump inhibitors associated acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: data mining of US FDA adverse event reporting system

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were widely used. Observational studies suggested increasing risk of kidney injury in patients with PPIs treatment. We gathered six PPI regimens and adverse reports of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2004 to 2019. We employed reporting odds ratio (ROR) to detect signals. Finally, we identified 3187 PPIs-associated AKI cases and 3457 PPIs-associated CKD cases. We detected significant signals between PPIs and AKI as well as CKD. The signal strength was stronger for CKD (ROR = 8.80, 95% CI 8.49–9.13) than AKI (ROR = 3.95, 95% CI 3.81–4.10), while dexlansoprazole performed stronger association for CKD (ROR = 34.94, 95% CI 30.89–39.53) and AKI (ROR = 8.18, 95% CI 7.04–9.51) than the other five PPIs. The median time from PPIs use to event occurrence was 23 days for AKI and 177 days for CKD. PPIs-associated AKI resulted larger proportion of death, life-threatening, hospitalization and disability events than PPIs-associated CKD. By mining the FAERS big data, we provided more information between PPIs use and the AKI and CKD events. PPIs rational use should be repeatedly stressed.