Proton pump inhibitor use and risk of dementia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are an established kind of drugs used to the treatment of most acid-related diseases. Some prospective studies have noticed that PPI use was associated with increased dementia risk. However, the results of those studies were inconsistent and controversial. This meta-analysis aims to determine the association of PPI use and risk of dementia among older people.

Relevant articles were systematically identified by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to February 2018. Cohort studies that reported the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD) among PPI users compared with non-PPI users were included. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The publication bias was detected by a funnel plot and Egger test. The meta-analysis will abstract risk estimates including relative risks (RRs), hazard ratios (HRs), and odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the associations between PPI use and dementia or Alzheimer's risk. Study-specific results were pooled using a random-effects model.

Six cohort studies were selected finally. The pooled RRs of dementia and AD were 1.23 (95% CI: 0.90-1.67) and 1.01 (95% CI: 0.78-1.32), respectively, compared with those of non-PPI use. The Egger test and funnel plot showed no existence of publication bias. Overall, there was no statistically significant association between PPI use and risk of dementia or AD (P >.05).

This meta-analysis suggests that there was no statistical association between PPIs use and increased risk of dementia or AD.