In a large population-based cohort study researchers evaluated whether long-term proton pump inhibitor use was associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma after accounting for confounding factors, including Helicobacter pylori infection and protopathic bias. After rigorous adjustment and lag-time analyses, long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy was not associated with a clinically meaningful increase in gastric cancer risk, suggesting that previously reported associations may reflect residual confounding rather than a causal effect.

Source: The BMJ