Heartburn Medication May Pose Hazard

Long-term use of a widely prescribed heartburn drug may be hazardous if people are also infected with a common germ linked to both stomach ulcers and cancer.

The drug, Prilosec, is often given to suppress stomach acid. While this does a good job of relieving severe heartburn, the lower acid levels also allow certain stomach bacteria to cause more inflammation.

These bacteria, Helcobacter pylori, are the leading cause of stomach ulcers and also may cause stomach cancer. About half of all Americans are infected with H. pylori, although most suffer no apparent harm.

In a new study, doctors found that years of Prilosec treatment in victims of severe heartburn disease led to precancerous changes in the stomach lining if they were also infected with H. pylori. Prilosec was harmless in those who were not infected with the germ.