Is Your PPI Putting You at Risk for COVID-19?
Studies show proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) make people more susceptible to falling ill with COVID-19 and having more serious illness.
As the worldwide pandemic stretches into its second year, analyzing data collected from COVID-19 patients brings pertinent and actionable information. In an ongoing story related to challenges with medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD,) a number of meta-analyses, find that those who use proton pump inhibitors like Omeprazole (Prilosec), Esomeprazole (Nexium), Lansoprazole (Prevacid), and Pantoprazole (Protonix), are at increased risk for developing COVID-19 , and are more likely to develop secondary infections and overall more severe manifestations of COVID-19.
One way PPIs work is by reducing acid in the stomach, which might sound like a terrific idea if you’re suffering from heart burn or reflux. But that very same stomach acid plays an important role in fighting infection, so by knocking it back you are taking away one of your ace defenders against getting sick, including falling ill with COVID-19. As we enter yet another surge in incidence of COVID-19, doing whatever we can to improve our defenses, makes good sense.
