Chronic PPI Use and Asthma
New research shows that prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) can increase the risk for developing asthma. PPI’s are the “drugs of choice” for esophageal reflux, gastritis and gastric ulcers. But their long-term use impacts the gut microbiome which in turn can cause immune dysregulation. It is this “tilting” of immune function that increases the risk for asthma. Prolonged use of PPI’s by women during pregnancy also increases the risk for their child to develop asthma. One strategy to…