Reducing Ulcer Risk for Arthritis Patients

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Reducing Ulcer Risk for Arthritis Patients

Jan. 4, 2002 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Arthritis patients getting ready to start

long-term treatment with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen

might want to consider being tested for common bacteria known to raise the risk

for ulcers, say researchers.

Long-term NSAID therapy helps ease the pain of arthritis, but treatment over

time can also lead to peptic ulcers. For that reason, many doctors also

prescribe NSAID patients an anti-ulcer drug. Since the bacteria H pylori is also

a risk factor for ulcers, researchers from Hong Kong speculated that eradicating

the bacteria could lead to a reduction in the ulcer risk for arthritis patients

taking NSAIDs. In a previous study, they found by eliminating the bacteria in

those who tested positive for it, there was a 73 percent reduction in the

occurrence of ulcers among those just starting NSAID therapy. However, this had

little effect on long-term NSAID users.

In this study, researchers continued their work by enrolling about 100 arthritis

patients who tested positive for the bacteria and had a history of ulcers or

indigestion. None had ever been on NSAID therapy. Patients received either a

one-week treatment to eliminate the bacteria from their systems or a placebo

treatment. The bacteria was eradicated in 90 percent of those who received the

active treatment and in 6 percent of those who received the placebo treatment.

All patients were then prescribed an NSAID drug for six months.

At the end of the study, researchers found the risk of developing an ulcer was

12 percent in the group that received the eradication treatment, compared with

34 percent in the group that received the placebo treatment. The risk of

developing a complicated ulcer was 4 percent in the treatment group, compared

with 27 percent in the placebo group. Authors of the study conclude, " Screening

and treatment for H pylori infection significantly reduces the risk of ulcers

for patients starting long-term NSAID treatment. "

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2002;359:9-13