Possible unexpected side benefit
By THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY
Proton pump inhibitors
(PPIs) — a commonly used type of antacid medication — improved blood sugar
control in people with diabetes.
Antacids improved blood
sugar control in people with diabetes but had no effect on reducing the risk of
diabetes in the general population, according to a new meta-analysis published
in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
& Metabolism.
Type 2 diabetes is a
global public health concern affecting almost 10 percent of people worldwide.
Doctors may prescribe diet and lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, or
insulin to help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar, but
recent data points to common over-the-counter antacid medicines as another way
to improve glucose levels.
“Our research demonstrated that prescribing antacids as an add-on to standard care was superior to standard therapy in decreasing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and fasting blood sugar in people with diabetes,” said study author Carol Chiung-Hui Peng, M.D., of the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus in Baltimore, Md.
“For people without
diabetes, taking antacids did not significantly alter their risk of developing
the disease,” said study author, Huei-Kai Huang M.D., of the Hualien Tzu Chi
Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan.
Types of PPIs
There are many names
and brands of PPIs. Most work equally as well. Side effects may vary from drug
to drug.
- Omeprazole (Prilosec)
- Esomeprazole (Nexium)
- Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
- Rabeprazole (AcipHex)
- Pantoprazole (Protonix)
- Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
- Zegerid (omeprazole with sodium bicarbonate)
The researchers
performed a meta-analysis on the effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — a
commonly used type of antacid medication — on blood sugar levels in people with
diabetes and whether these medications could prevent the new onset of diabetes
in the general population.
The analysis included
seven studies (342 participants) for glycemic control and 5 studies (244, 439
participants) for risk of incident diabetes.
The researchers found
antacids can reduce HbA1c levels by 0.36% in people with diabetes and lower
fasting blood sugar by 10 mg/dl based on the results from seven clinical
trials. For those without diabetes, the results of the five studies showed that
antacids had no effect on reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
“People with diabetes
should be aware that these commonly used antacid medications may improve their
blood sugar control, and providers could consider this glucose-lowering effect
when prescribing these medications to their patients,” said study author Kashif
Munir, M.D., associate professor in the division of endocrinology, diabetes,
and nutrition at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore,
Md.
Reference: “Effects of
Proton Pump Inhibitors on Glycemic Control and Incident Diabetes: A Systematic
Review and Meta-analysis” by Carol Chiung-Hui Peng, Yu-Kang Tu, Gin Yi Lee,
Rachel Huai-En Chang, Yuting Huang, Khulood Bukhari, Yao-Chou Tsai, Yunting Fu,
Huei-Kai Huang and Kashif M Munir, 30 June 2021, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
DOI:
10.1210/clinem/dgab353
The manuscript received
no external funding
