"Heartburn, ulcer and acid reflux medicine may bring relief, but over time, they could also increase a person's risk of early death, new findings show. Researchers have linked popular drugs like Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix and other proton pump inhibitors to a higher risk of death by cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, as well as upper gastrointestinal cancer, according to a study published in The BMJ. More than 15 million people are prescribed PPIs each year, while millions more purchase them over-the-counter, the researchers say."