Arthritis patients have health problems when they don't take all their meds

Individuals often receive a prescription to buy Protonix or other proton-pump inhibitor medications when they are given drugs to manage their arthritis symptoms. However, new evidence suggests that arthritis patients experience serious gastrointestinal problems when they do not take all of the medications they are prescribed.

Certain arthritis medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and COX-2 inhibitors, are known to cause upper GI complications, including heartburn, which is why doctors often provide a prescription to buy Protonix along with these medications.

For the study, researchers examined data from nearly 15,000 arthritis patients. They found that for every 10 percent decrease in adherence to proton-pump inhibitors, patients were 9 percent more likely to experience significant upper GI symptoms. 

"This study confirms the benefits of gastroprotective agent adherence in reducing risk of upper GI complications from use of COX-2 blockers," said lead researcher Vera Valkhoff, of Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

She added that medication adherence is an easily modifiable factor, which means simple interventions could lead to major improvements in patients' health.