Long-term quality of life improvement in subjects with healed erosive esophagitis: treatment with lansoprazole.
BACKGROUND
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic symptomatic condition and may be associated with erosive esophagitis (EE). Considerable data on the long-term maintenance of healing of EE are available, but data on long-term GERD symptom prevention and patient quality of life (QOL) are limited.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate QOL in subjects with healed EE who received 12 months of double-blind maintenance treatment with lansoprazole or ranitidine, followed by long-term open-label lansoprazole therapy to prevent recurrence of EE.


METHODS
Subjects with healed EE received 12 months of double-blind maintenance treatment with lansoprazole 15 mg once daily or ranitidine 150 mg twice daily, followed by dose-titrated, open-label lansoprazole therapy for up to 82 months.


RESULTS
During double-blind treatment (n = 206), lansoprazole-treated patients showed significantly (P <or= 0.05) greater improvements than ranitidine-treated patients in the frequency, severity, and 'bothersomeness' of heartburn, the symptom index, problems of activity limitation, eating and drinking problems, symptom problems, health distress, and social functioning. During dose-titrated, open-label treatment (n = 195), all disease-specific QOL scales except sleep improved significantly (P < 0.001) from open-label baseline at each time-point.


CONCLUSIONS
Maintenance treatment with lansoprazole for 12 months in healed EE subjects produced significantly greater improvements in QOL indicators than ranitidine. These improvements were sustained during dose-titrated, open-label lansoprazole treatment.
Kovacs
Thomas O
TO
CURE Digestive Diseases Research Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA. TKovacs@mednet.ucla.edu
Freston
James W
JW
Haber
Marian M
MM
Atkinson
Stuart
S
Hunt
Barbara
B
Peura
David A
DA
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064747:Lansoprazole; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D053799:2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D064747:Lansoprazole; D011899:Ranitidine