Some drugs for treating heartburn may increase heart attack risk. Heartburn is an unpleasant symptom of stomach acid refluxing back up into the esophagus. Newer medications, called proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, block the stomach from making that acid. But new data released this week has found those drugs may carry a heart risk. “The researchers used clinical notes recorded at Stanford University and a web-based electronic health record system of mostly private practices. They used almost three million medical records to study the incidence of PPI use and of cardiovascular risk. They found that people with gastrointestinal reflux disease who took PPIs were 16 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than those who did not, and were twice as likely to die of a heart issue.” The team points out that this risk probably drops to normal after the drugs are stopped. The problem is, many people take these drugs for much longer than they’re supposed to. The team also thinks those who take these drugs may be sicker to begin with, making them more likely to have heart issues.