title: Recurrent ulcer after treatment with cimetidine or sucralfate.
abstract: The recurrence of peptic ulcer disease after successful treatment with 400 mg cimetidine twice daily or 1 g sucralfate four times daily was investigated in a double-blind, 1-year follow-up study. Endoscopy was performed if ulcer symptoms recurred and 2-4 and 9-11 months after endoscopically confirmed healing of the initial ulcer. No anti-ulcer medication was permitted during the follow-up period. The recurrence rates were 71% in the cimetidine group (n = 143) and 68% in the sucralfate group (n = 115) (p greater than 0.3). The rate of asymptomatic ulcer relapse was 26% in the cimetidine and 23% in the sucralfate group (p greater than 0.4). The time to relapse did not differ between the treatment groups (p greater than 0.3). In the cimetidine group smokers had a higher 12-month recurrence rate than non-smokers, 83% compared with 58% (p less than 0.01). The corresponding figures in the sucralfate group were 76% and 57% (p = 0.057). The median time to recurrence in the cimetidine-treated group was 17 weeks among smokers, compared to 43 weeks among non-smokers (p less than 0.001). In the sucralfate-treated group the median time to recurrence was 23 weeks among smokers and 32 weeks among non-smokers (p greater than 0.3). Pre-study use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the time to healing of the initial ulcer did not influence the relapse rates in either of the treatment groups.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine and Surgery, Skövde Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hallerbäck
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Solhaug
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carling
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glise
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hallgren
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kagevi
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Svedberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wählby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013392:Sucralfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013392:Sucralfate; D002927:Cimetidine