Drug Prevents Stomach Problems in Aspirin Takers, Research Says
If you are among the millions of Americans who take a low-dose aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack, you may be able to take a drug to significantly prevent stomach and upper-intestinal ulcers that are commonly caused by frequent aspirin use.
In a recently completed last-stage clinical trial, the drug famotidine was found to be effective at reducing gastric and duodenal ulcers as well as erosive esophagitis in patients who take low-dose aspirin, according to researchers from the University of Glasgow.
Researchers conducted a trial including 404 patients who were given between 75 milligrams and 325 milligrams of aspirin a day. Participants were then randomly selected to receive either 20 milligrams of famotidine or inactive placebo pills for three months.
Endoscopic exams of all study participants at the conclusion of the study found that stomach ulcers were found in just three percent of patients taking famotidine compared to 15 percent of patients given placebo pills, researchers said. Duodenal ulcers found in the upper-intestines were found in 0.5 percent of patients in the famotidine group and in 17 percent of the placebo group. Just four percent of patients receiving famotidine developed gullet ulcers compared to 19 percent of those receiving placebo pills, according to the study.
The findings from the FAMOUS trial are published online today and will appear in the upcoming printed issue of The Lancet medical journal.
Alternative to PPIs
Famotidine prevents ulcers by lowering acidity and attaching to histamine particles in the stomach, researchers said. It is broken down by enzymes in the liver and has not been associated with serious side effects.
The drug could provide relief to users of a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors, which are widely used to prevent ulcers in people who take low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease and treat other conditions. PPIs, as they are commonly called, include the brands Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix, and Prilosec OTC.
PPIs are taken by millions of people, including as many as one in four asthma sufferers. They are among the most commonly prescribed drugs and racked up about $14 billion in 2008 sales.
However, the drugs have been associated with complications in patients who also take Plavix or other brands of blood-thinning drugs, which are often prescribed along with aspirin and may cause severe problems.
PPIs also are very expensive drugs, so news that famotidine may provide a cheaper way to prevent ulcers is a welcome development for millions of patients.
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