Heartburn drugs do not help control asthma

Heartburn among asthma sufferers led some doctors to prescribe heartburn medication, but heartburn drugs do not help control asthma, U.S. researchers said.

The study, conducted by the American Lung Association’s Asthma Clinical Research Centers at 20 U.S. sites, the study demonstrated that participants who took esomeprazole, or Nexium, had as many asthma episodes as participants who were given an inactive pill, or placebo.

This study goes against the idea that mild or silent acid reflux contributes to uncontrolled asthma, Dr. Mario Castro, a Washington University pulmonary specialist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital who led the study in St. Louis, said in a statement. It establishes that heartburn medications are not indicated for adults with uncontrolled asthma when they have mild or no symptoms of acid reflux.

However, Castro said prescription heartburn medication is still indicated for those with severe heartburn and poorly controlled asthma because it might improve asthma control in some of these patients.

The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.