ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
In a Swedish double-blind multicentre study, omeprazole (30 mg o.m.) was compared with the H2-receptor antagonist cimetidine (400 mg b.d.) in 152 patients. Clinical assessments and laboratory investigations were carried out at 2 and 4 weeks, and again at 6 weeks in unhealed patients. Endoscopy was performed at 2 weeks, and again at 4 and 6 weeks in unhealed patients. The patients in the two groups were well-matched prior to treatment.Omeprazole was superior to cimetidine in ulcer-healing rate after 2, 4 and 6 weeks. After 2 weeks of treatment, 66% of the omeprazole- and 45 % of the cimetidine-treated patients were healed (P= 0.02), after 4 weeks 97 and 84% (P= 0.01), and after 6 weeks 100 and 92% (P= 0.02), respectively.There was a more pronounced improvement in the patients' symptoms in the omeprazole group after 2 weeks (P= 0.05).Both drugs were well-tolerated, but there was a high prevalence of patients with adverse events in the cimetidine group (51%, compared to 30% of the omeprazole group; P= 0.02).A total of 125 patients were followed for 6 months after healing. The patients were investigated by endoscopy after 6 months, or whenever symptoms occurred. There was no significant difference in the rate of relapse within 6 months between the two treatment groups: 54% relapsed in the omeprazole group and 52 % in the cimetidine group.In conclusion, 30 mg of omeprazole, given once daily, is superior to 400 mg of cimetidine twice daily in duodenal ulcer healing; but ulcer relapse in the two groups appears to be equivalent.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1988.tb00721.x
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