Taking the proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole for three years does not put patients at increased risk of fractures, pneumonia, CVD, chronic renal disease, cancer or dementia, according to data from the largest clinical trial to date.

However, patients taking the PPI are more susceptible to enteric infections, with a 33% higher risk than people taking placebo, the results show.

The findings from the study of nearly 17,600 people with stable cardiovascular disease and peripheral artery disease should alleviate doctors’ fears over long-term PPIs causing harm, which may currently lead them to limit scripts, the authors conclude in Gastroenterology.

“To our knowledge, this is the largest PPI trial for any indication and the first prospective randomised trial to evaluate the many long-term safety concerns related to PPI therapy.