David Brill
Histamine H2-receptor antagonists can limit the gastrointestinal side effects of low-dose aspirin and could offer a viable alternative to proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), a recent study suggests.
The study, published in The Lancet, included 404 adults who were taking low-dose aspirin and had no ulcers or esophagitis at baseline. [2009;374:119-25]
Aspirin use continues to soar worldwide, yet there are few options for prevention of associated gastrointestinal complications. PPIs are known to be effective but have faced safety concerns – particularly over the risk of adverse interactions with clopidogrel.
“There is little doubt that aspirin and other anti-clotting drugs are very useful in the prevention of heart, brain, and other vascular diseases, hence their increasing use worldwide. Patients on such drugs should continue using them as advised by their family doctors or hospital specialists,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Ali Taha, of the University of Glasgow, UK.
“However, everybody should be aware that aspirin use can also be associated with a variety of gastrointestinal or digestive system problems, which sometimes can be serious. The results of this research widen the options for the prevention of such problems, particularly when more than one clotting drug is required,” he said.
Twelve weeks after randomization, 7 of 204 patients on famotidine had developed gastric ulcers, compared to 30 of 200 taking placebo (3.4 percent versus 15 percent; odds ratio 0.2; P=0.0002).
Just one patient developed a duodenal ulcer on famotidine, compared to 17 on placebo (0.5 percent versus 8.5 percent; OR 0.05; P=0.0045). Nine and 38 patients developed erosive esophagitis in the famotidine and placebo groups, respectively (4.4 percent versus 19 percent; OR 0.2; P<0.0001).>
1 comment:
Due to the improper life style,many peoples are suffering acid problem and gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) problem.To avoid these problem Famotidine is used to prevent the acid presence in stomach.
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