Proton Pump Inhibitor’s (or P.P.I.s), widely available by prescription or over the counter brands like Prevacid, Nexium, and Prilosec, have been tied to Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias, according to German researchers writing in JAMA Neurology. The researchers looked for five years at 73,679 men and women over 75 who were free of dementia at the start of the study. The writers concluded that P.P.I.s increased the risk of dementia in men by 52% and in women by 42%. “Our study does not prove that P.P.I.s cause dementia,” said the senior author, “only that there is a statistical association. This is just a small part of the puzzle.”

It should be noted that P.P.I.s are an important therapy in preventing upper G.I. tract cancers, in addition to the discomfort of heart burn, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other illnesses.