Associations between Proton-Pump Inhibitor Usage, Allergy, and Asthma: An Analysis of NHANES 2005–2006

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Acid suppression medications, such as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 receptor antagonists, are commonly prescribed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. However, concerns regarding potential long-term side effects are brought up by the overuse of PPIs. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between PPI usage, allergy, and asthma in the general US population. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Data of individuals aged ≥20 years who had information on PPI use and questionnaires on allergy and asthma in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2006 were analyzed. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between PPI use, prevalent allergy, and asthma. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 4,481 participants (representing 198,543,007 US individuals after weighting) were included in the analyses. PPI use was not significantly associated with the presence of allergy or asthma in the general study population after adjustment. However, in females without steroid exposure, PPI use was significantly associated with increased odds of allergy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002–2.86), among which esomeprazole use was significantly associated with increased odds of allergy (aOR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.30–5.54) and lansoprazole with increased odds of asthma (aOR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.50–7.87) as compared to no PPI use. Duration of PPI use was not significantly associated with allergy or asthma. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In US women without steroid exposure, PPI use is associated with increased likelihood of prevalent allergy and asthma.