Research Research themes Renal disorders Side effects of proton pump inhibitors

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs, e.g. omeprazole) are the first line of treatment for stomach acid-related diseases and are used by approximately 3 million people in the Netherlands.

We have previously demonstrated that 13% of the PPI-users develop hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium (Mg2+) < 0.7 mmol/L), which causes severe health problems. We aimed to translate the experimental results about the molecular mechanism of PPI-induced hypomagnesemia into novel treatment strategies for patients.

This resulted in the prebiotic intervention trial (PRIVET), were we targeted the gut microbiome by dietary inulin fibers and significantly restore serum Mg2+ levels in these patients.