Efficacy of rabeprazole on heartburn symptom resolution in patients with non‐erosive and erosive gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease: a multicenter study from Japan

• Published in: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 69 - 77
• Main Authors: MIWA, H., SASAKI, M., FURUTA, T., KOIKE, T., HABU, Y., ITO, M., FUJIWARA, Y., WADA, T., NAGAHARA, A., HONGO, M., CHIBA, T., KINOSHITA, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2007; Blackwell
• Subjects: 2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles - administration & dosage; 2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles - therapeutic use; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Digestive system; Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Esophagus; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastroesophageal Reflux - drug therapy; Gastroesophageal Reflux - epidemiology; Heartburn - drug therapy; Humans; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rabeprazole; Treatment Outcome; Asia; Japan; Human; Gastroesophageal reflux; Enzyme; Treatment efficiency; Multicenter study; Esophageal disease; H; Enzyme inhibitor; Antiulcer agent; K; Rabeprazole; Proton pump inhibitor; Symptomatology; Benzimidazole derivatives; Digestive diseases; exchanging ATPase; Hydrolases
• ISSN: 0269-2813; 1365-2036
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03350.x

Summary Background  Few studies have compared the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in resolving the symptoms of non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) and of erosive gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in Japan. Aim  To investigate and compare the efficacy of 4‐week course of rabeprazole 10 mg/day on symptom resolution in NERD and erosive GERD in Japan. Methods  The modified Los Angeles classification was used to grade endoscopically GERD in patients with heartburn (Grades N and M: NERD, Grades A and B: mild reflux oesophagitis (RO), and Grades C and D: severe RO). Rabeprazole 10 mg/day was administered for 4 weeks to 180 patients who kept symptom diaries. Results  Complete relief of the symptoms was achieved in 35.8% of the NERD group and 55.4% of the erosive GERD group (mild RO: 51.1% and severe RO: 77.8%). Rabeprazole was significantly more effective in erosive GERD than in NERD patients. Among the NERD subgroups (Grades N and M), no difference in symptom improvement was observed. Conclusions  Four‐week, rabeprazole 10 mg/day acid suppression therapy was effective in resolving symptoms in Japanese GERD patients. This therapy was more effective in erosive GERD than in NERD patients, and in those with severe RO than in those with mild RO.