Esomeprazole and Ranitidine for NSAID-Associated Gastric Ulcers

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with risk for gastroduodenal ulcers and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Appropriate treatment of these ulcers includes discontinuation of the NSAID and initiation of acid-reduction therapy. In patients who are unable to discontinue NSAID therapy because of underlying diseases, NSAID-associated ulceration often is treated with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) or a histamine-2–receptor antagonist (H₂RA).

To determine which of these treatments is associated with a higher healing rate, investigators conducted a randomized, double-blind trial among 440 patients who had gastric ulcers as a result of continued NSAID therapy. Patients were recruited from general practice centers in Eastern E…