Doctors warned of dementia risks from heartburn pills

Heartburn is a very frequent symptom, which is experienced by about 40% of the population under 60 years of age. Lev Belov and Tatyana Sychova, psychiatrists and psychotherapists of the EmotsiUM Center for Personalized Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, told Izvestia on December 27 about the risks of dementia due to heartburn pills.

According to experts, heartburn is felt as a burning sensation behind the sternum or under the spoon, spreading from the bottom to the top, often occurs when changing the position of the body, and is accompanied by an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. Heartburn is also associated with a condition such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease, which is based on the variously caused throwing of gastric contents into the esophagus.

"Unfortunately, all drugs have certain side effects, and this group of drugs, while generally well tolerated, is no exception. Recent studies have found that taking these drugs increases the risk of dementia - persistent cognitive impairment with loss of knowledge and skills," Belov explained.

According to Sychova, the protein is deposited in the brain in the form of tubules, leads to metabolic disorders in neurons, degeneration of nerve cells and as a consequence - to persistent impairment of cognitive activity. An additional factor is considered to be the impaired absorption of vitamin B12 through the gastric mucosa, necessary, among other things, for the proper functioning of nerve cells.

"It is important to remember that we are not talking about guaranteeing the development of a formidable condition, but only about increased risks. A risk score of 1.20 is elevated, but not high," the experts summarized.

Earlier, on November 21, Oksana Pivovarova, professor of the Department of Therapy at the Medical Faculty of the State University of Education, therapist, told Izvestia about the main risks of dementia development and its signs. According to her, smoking, which negatively affects the brain vessels, thereby reducing the flow of oxygen to the tissues and increasing hypoxia, leads to the development of dementia.