Open AccessA randomised prospective study comparing the effectiveness of esomeprazole treatment strategies in clinical practice for 6 months in the management of patients with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease
Author(s) -
Norman Hansen A.,
Bergheim R.,
Fagertun H.,
Lund H.,
Moum B.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/j.1368-5031.2005.00564.x
Subject(s) - esomeprazole , medicine , heartburn , gerd , ranitidine , reflux , proton pump inhibitor , gastroenterology , randomized controlled trial , prospective cohort study , endoscopy , disease
Summary One option for patients with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is treatment with proton pump inhibitors without prior endoscopy. Continuous or on‐demand maintenance therapy are options for symptom‐free patients. This study assessed the efficacy of three different treatment options in GERD patients in Norway. About 395 General Practitioners enrolled 2156 patients with symptoms of GERD in an open, randomised, parallel group trial. Following a 4‐week symptom control phase [esomeprazole 40 mg once daily (od)], patients received either esomeprazole 20 mg od continuously or on‐demand or ranitidine 150 mg twice‐daily continuously for 6 months. The percentage of patients with no heartburn at the end of the study was maintained most effectively in the esomeprazole 20 mg continuous group (72.2%) and least effectively in the ranitidine group (32.5%). Significantly, more patients were completely/very satisfied with esomeprazole continuous (82.2%) and esomeprazole on‐demand (75.4%) than with ranitidine continuous (33.5%) treatment (p < 0.0001). More patients were kept in remission, symptom free and were overall more satisfied with esomeprazole treatment than ranitidine.