Can your heartburn drugs be bad for your heart?

How would you know if your medicine was putting you at risk for heart disease? This might seem as simple as looking on the official labeling, but you might be surprised to learn that the Food and Drug Administration has a very hard time detecting drug-induced heart disease.

Vioxx was a classic case. This arthritis drug was promoted as less likely to cause serious digestive-tract complications compared with other pain relievers like diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam and naproxen.

It came as a great shock to doctors and patients alike when Vioxx was linked to heart attacks in 2004 and unceremoniously pulled off pharmacy shelves. An FDA safety officer estimated that the drug might have been responsible for as many as 30,000 to 40,000 deaths during its five years on the market. It was later discovered that other popular pain relievers, including Celebrex, diclofenac and ibuprofen, also could raise the risk of heart problems.

When we asked a key FDA executive why the agency missed the iceberg that nearly sunk his organization, he replied that the FDA is not very good at catching common things like heart attacks or strokes. It seems to be able to detect strange or rare complications like liver failure, but “common” problems, like heart attacks, frequently go undetected for years because the massive amount of data overwhelms the signal.

The diabetes drug Avandia posed a similar challenge. It was first marketed in 1999. In 2007, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 14, 2007) revealed that the drug was associated with a significant (43 percent) increased risk of heart attack. Eventually, the FDA severely restricted the use of Avandia, and European regulators banned it outright.

Now another popular class of medicines is under scrutiny for potential heart problems. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. These potent acid-suppressing medicines are used to ease everything from vague bellyaches to severe reflux disease and ulcers.

The drugs in question include esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix) and rabeprazole (Aciphex), among others. An article published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journal, Circulation (online, July 3, 2013), has thrown a shadow on their safety.

The researchers found that PPIs may cause heart problems by reducing the flexibility of blood vessels. In addition to suppressing stomach acid, these agents reduce the body’s production of nitric oxide in blood vessels. This natural compound keeps blood vessels supple and helps control blood pressure.

Perhaps this new discovery helps explain the disquieting statistic that older people who leave the hospital on a PPI were 50 percent more likely to die during the following year than those who were not taking such medications (JAMA Internal Medicine, April 8, 2013). Major cardiovascular adverse events were more common among people on acid-suppressing drugs.

No one should stop a PPI suddenly, as this may trigger rebound hyperacidity and heartburn symptoms.

But the new data should prompt heart patients to ask their doctors to assess the benefits and risks of these medicines for them.

Q: The best tip I ever received for mosquito bites is to dab on hydrogen peroxide. I have very sensitive skin, and bites used to get very swollen and itch for weeks.Now, I apply drugstore hydrogen peroxide, and in less than 15 minutes, I have no itch and no bump. You need to apply it to bites as soon as possible. I doubt it would work if you waited too long.

A: Seven years ago, a reader shared a similar tip:

“I am highly attractive to mosquitos and often get a dozen bites when others get one. Years ago, I was told to rub hydrogen peroxide on the bites as soon as possible. This alleviates itching within minutes! The key is to apply the peroxide with a cotton ball right after the bite.”

Avoid bites in the first place with an effective repellent. Besides DEET, there are now natural Food and Drug Administration-approved ingredients, including picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Learn more on our website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

“The People’s Pharmacy with Joe and Terry Graedon” airs Saturday at 7 a.m. on WVTF (89.1 FM) and at 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays on RADIO IQ (89.7 FM). Joe and Teresa Graedon’s column runs in Tuesday’s Extra.

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