Comparison of teprenone and famotidine against gastroduodenal mucosal damage in patients taking low-dose aspirin.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Proton-pump inhibitors are known to be effective in the treatment and prevention of ulcers related to low-dose aspirin (LDA), but few reports address H2 -receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and gastroprotective agents (GPs). This study was intended to compare the therapeutic effects of an H2RA and a GP against gastroduodenal mucosal injuries in patients taking LDA.

METHODS: The subjects consisted of patients requiring continuous LDA treatment, in whom no peptic ulcer was found on endoscopy at enrollment. The patients were randomized to either famotidine 20 mg/day (group F) or teprenone 150 mg/day (group T). The study medication was administered for 12 weeks. The patients underwent endoscopy after administration of the study medication in order to obtain a Lanza score.

RESULTS: A total of 66 patients (38 in group F, 28 in group T) were included in the efficacy analysis population. The Lanza score changed as follows: in group F, it improved significantly, from 0.89±1.03 (mean±standard deviation) before medication to 0.39±0.75 after medication (P=0.006); in group T, no significant difference was observed: 0.75±0.93 before medication and 0.68±0.82 after medication.

CONCLUSION: Famotidine is better than teprenone in terms of reducing the number of the erosions under use of LDA.