Increased Risk of Bone Fractures in Hemodialysis Patients Treated with Proton Pump Inhibitors in Real World: Results from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS)

Long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is associated with an increased risk of fractures in the general population. PPIs are widely prescribed to dialysis patients but to date no study has specifically tested, by state-of-art statistical methods, the relationship between use of PPIs and fractures in this patient population. This study aimed to assess whether use of PPIs is associated with bone fractures (ie, hip fractures and fractures other than hip fractures) in a large international cohort of hemodialysis patients. We considered an observational prospective cohort of 27,097 hemodialysis patients from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). Data analysis was performed by the Fine and Gray method, considering the competitive risk of mortality, as well as by a cause-specific hazards Cox model with death as a censoring event and matching patients according to the prescription time. Of 27,097 hemodialysis patients, 13,283 patients (49%) were on PPI treatment. Across the follow-up period (median, 19 months), 3.8 bone fractures × 100 person-years and 1.2 hip fractures × 100 person-years occurred. In multiple Cox models, considering the competitive risk of mortality, the incidence rate of bone (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.36; p < 0.001) and hip fractures (SHR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.62; p = 0.001) was significantly higher in PPI-treated than in PPI-untreated patients. These findings also held true in multiple, cause-specific, hazards Cox models matching patients according to the prescription time (bone fractures: HR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.76; p < 0.001; hip fractures: HR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.37 to 2.50; p < 0.001). The use of PPIs requires caution and a careful evaluation of risks/benefits ratio in hemodialysis patients. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.