[Old age--neither sour nor bitter].
The development of medicine involves prolongation of human life. In many cases, however, chronic diseases, quite common in the elderly, make the quality of life very poor. We put the question: why we--the doctors--are not able to cope with the problem and whether the pharmacological treatment actually helps? A common medical practice is the use of proton pump inhibitors for various, often nonspecific disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Statistics point to the overuse of the drugs from this group, also in the elderly. Despite the belief in the safety of such proceedings, proton pump inhibitors may pose a significant threat to older patients contributing to the symptoms worsening, and significantly affecting the mechanisms of acid-base balance. Inhibition of gastric acid secretion in the stomach is not a golden receipt in the case of dyspeptic symptoms, especially in people with the elderly. In many of them achlorhydria or hipochlorhydria is diagnosed. In others, such treatment, may not bring an expected relief in symptoms, while contributing to disturbances of acid-base balance, and--indirectly--have an adverse effect on renal function. We suggest moderation in the use of proton pump inhibitors to bring patients to a real, and not quasi wellness.
Department of Nephrology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University of Szczecin, Poland. macd@mp.pl
Maciej
M
Domański
Karolina
K
Kedzierska
Edyta
E
Gołembiewska
Kazimierz
K
Ciechanowski
D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000188:drug therapy; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures
D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors