Proton Pump Inhibitors and Functional Decline in Older Adults Discharged From Acute Care Hospitals

Objectives To investigate the relationship between use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and incident dependency in older adults discharged from acute care hospitals. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Eleven geriatric and internal medicine acute care wards located throughout Italy. Participants Individuals (mean age 79.2 ± 5.5) who were not completely dependent at the time of discharge from participating wards (N = 401). Measurements The outcome of interest was the loss of at least one basic activity of daily living (ADL) from discharge to the end of follow‐up (12 months). The relationship between PPI use and functional decline was investigated using logistic regression analysis before and after propensity score matching. Results Use of PPIs was significantly associated with functional decline before (odds ratio (OR) = 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17–2.60) and after propensity score matching (OR = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.36–4.41). Other predictors of functional decline were hypoalbuminemia (OR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.36–7.10 before matching, OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.09–7.77 after matching) and cognitive impairment (OR = 4.08, 95% CI = 1.63–10.2 before matching, OR = 6.35, 95% CI = 1.70–24.0 after matching). Conclusion Use of PPIs is associated with functional decline during 12 months of follow‐up in older adults discharged from acute care hospitals.