title: Editorial: single-tablet ibuprofen/double-dose famotidine for reduction of gastric and duodenal ulcers (REDUCE Trials): what can be reduced?
abstract: Patients using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) who are at high risk of gastroduodenal ulcer complications often do not receive gastroprotective co-therapy. Fixed-dose combination tablets of an NSAID and a proton-pump inhibitor or misoprostol are intended to improve adherence. Whether the use of these combination tablets will improve adherence and clinical outcome remains largely uninvestigated. Unlike proton-pump inhibitors and misoprostol, the efficacy of histamine-2-receptor antagonists in preventing gastroduodenal ulcers associated with NSAID use is questionable. Nonetheless, a new fixed-dose combination tablet of an NSAID and famotidine will soon be available on the market. The study by Laine et al. is a pooled analysis of two large-scale, carefully designed randomized trials (REDUCE trials) of a fixed-combination tablet of ibuprofen and famotidine on the incidence of endoscopic ulcers. How the study findings may influence clinical practice deserves further consideration.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Digestive Disease, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. fklchan@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Francis K L
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015738:Famotidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D015738:Famotidine; D007052:Ibuprofen