Press Releases: National
May 27, 2003
Kaiser Permanente Research: Many patients on acid-suppressing drugs for ulcer disease have neither ulcers nor H.pylori infection
OAKLAND, Calif. – In a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a “test and treat strategy” for Helicobacter pylori bacteria, Kaiser Permanente researchers found many patients diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease on the basis of their symptoms did not have ulcers documented by X-ray or endoscopy and less than 40% were infected with H.pylori.
Dr. James E. Allison is lead author on the study published in the May 27th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. He’s an adjunct investigator at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, California, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
“In community practices many patients are diagnosed with ulcers based on their symptoms,” says Dr. Allison. “These people are often prescribed acid suppression drugs with repeated refills. Rather than continue to refill their medication, their primary care physicians should check to see if peptic ulcer disease has ever been documented by X-ray or endoscopy.”
In Dr. Allison’s study, only 17% of the 650 patients in the study had X-ray or endoscopic proof of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). All 650 had been taking long-term (30% for at least one year and 28% for 6 or more years) acid suppression medications after being diagnosed with PUD by a physician. The study results suggest most of those patients actually had uninvestigated dyspepsia--upper abdominal pain or discomfort, a common problem in the U.S. and other Western countries.
“What this tells us is that automatic HP testing and treatment of patients with a diagnosis of undocumented PUD may not be an effective way to relieve their symptoms,” says Dr. Allison. “If a patient with ulcer-like abdominal pain receives acid-suppression therapy for a year and their symptoms aren’t relieved, it may be time for that patient to be tested for PUD with x-ray or endoscopy before proceeding with testing and treatment for HP.”
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
