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Heartburn Drugs Linked to Hip Fractures in Women
Postmenopausal women with a history of smoking who take heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for two years or longer may be more likely to sustain a hip fracture.
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Understanding Heartburn -- the Basics
What Is Heartburn?
Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Some of the symptoms, however, are similar to those of a heart attack or heart disease. Heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acid. This can create a burning discomfort in the upper abdomen or below the breast bone.
With gravity's help, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, keeps stomach acid in the stomach. The LES is located where the esophagus meets the stomach -- below the rib cage and slightly left of center. Normally it opens to allow food into the stomach or to permit belching; then it closes again. But if the LES opens too often or does not close tight enough, stomach acid can reflux, or seep, into the esophagus and cause the burning sensation.
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