[Chronic use of proton pump inhibitors: is the risk of osteoporosis and fractures real?].

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are one of the most widely used groups of drugs and their potential toxicity is periodically reviewed, emphasizing aspects originally considered secondary. The present review analyzes the physiological and pharmacological bases and the scarce clinical evidence for a potential association between the continued administration of PPI and the development of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Both disorders are clearly related to calcium homeostasis and are highly important in elderly patients due to their poor general prognosis and disabling consequences.