Popular heartburn drug given the all clear

Concerns that a drug used to treat stomach conditions such as heartburn could cause heart problems have been laid to rest by a comprehensive review.

The review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has found no evidence that the drugs drugs Prilosec and Nexium increased the rates of cardiac problems.

Prilosec and Nexium which are top selling drugs for heartburn, are manufactured by AstraZeneca.

Concern was raised following the results of two studies which suggested they were linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, heart failure and heart-related sudden death when compared to surgery.

AstraZeneca supplied the FDA with data from two long-term studies in patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease; the studies were designed to assess the effectiveness of being treated with either Prilosec or Nexium.

A large amount of additional information was also submitted to the FDA, who this week announced it had completed a comprehensive review of the information and reached the conclusion that long-term use of the drugs is not likely to be associated with an increased risk of heart problems.

According to AstraZeneca, Prilosec and Nexium are used by more than 1 billion people.