Using the Hydrogen Breath Test to determine if PPI users are predisposed to SIBO

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) can affect the microbiota of the intestinal tract.  As a result, it has been suggested that people taking PPI‘s might be at a higher risk for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).  This hypothesis was tested in a retrospective study of 1,191 patients of which 566 were on PPI therapy.  Each these subjects received a glucose hydrogen breath test to check for the presence of SIBO. The result was no correlation was found that showed taking PPI’s increased the risk for SIBO.  The only increased risk was age – regardless of consumption of PPI’s.

Ref: Am J Gastroenterol 2012 May

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22334250