Research is casting doubt on the idea that depression and anxiety cause cancer, with one exception.
And a new study suggests that long-term use of certain medicine to treat heartburn and reflux could do lasting damage to the brain.
Depression, anxiety and cancer
Depression and anxiety have long been considered a risk factor in developing cancers. But a multination study suggests the two mental health challenges have no association with greater risk for most cancers.
The exception is lung cancer and the reason for a possible link there needs further study, according to the researchers.
The findings are based on a review of multiple studies from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada. The research was recently published in Cancer, the American Cancer Society’s journal.
The question has been controversial, with research yielding different results. So researchers led by the University Medical Center Groningen used data from the international Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence study. That gave the reviewers access to data on more than 300,000 people.
After following the subjects over 26 years’ data, they concluded that there is no link between anxiety or depression and a variety of cancers, including breast, prostate, colorectal and alcohol-related cancers. Lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers showed a 6% increased risk, but that dropped when factors like smoking, alcohol use and body mass index were adjusted for.
In a release from publisher Wiley, lead author Lonneke A. van Tujil, of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, said that more research is needed “to understand exactly how depression, anxiety, health behaviors and lung cancer are related.”
Acid reflux and dementia
People taking a class of acid reflux medicine called proton pump inhibitors long term could be at greater risk of developing dementia, according to a study in the journal Neurology published this month.
Acid reflux happens when stomach acid enters the esophagus. It happens most often right after a meal or when someone is lying down. Acid reflux can lead to heartburn and ulcers. Over time, with frequent reflux, people develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD, which can lead to cancer of the esophagus.
Some of the most popular and often prescribed anti-reflux drugs are proton pump inhibitors. A news release on the study says that “proton pump inhibitors reduce stomach acid by targeting the enzymes in the stomach lining that produce that acid.”
Previous studies have also linked long-term use to increased risk of bone fractures, stroke and chronic kidney disease.
The study included 5,712 people who were at least 45 years old who didn’t have dementia at the beginning of the research. The average age was 75.
In those who didn’t take a proton pump inhibitor, they found 19 cases of dementia per 1,000 person-years. Of those who took proton pump inhibitors long-term, they found 24 cases of dementia per 1,000 person years. But the risk did not increase for those who took the drugs less than 4.4 years. The researchers adjusted for age, sex and race, plus health factors like blood pressure and diabetes.
Overall, they said those taking proton pump inhibitor acid reflux drugs for more than 4.4 years had 33% increased risk of developing dementia compared to those who didn’t take the drugs.
The study didn’t look at over-the-counter medicines for reflux. And it didn’t say proton pump inhibitors cause dementia, though it found an association.