Highlights
Nobel Prize Awarded for Linking Bacteria to Ulcers
The 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to the Australian scientists who identified the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) as the main cause of stomach ulcers. Before their 1982 discovery, doctors believed that stress and other lifestyle factors caused ulcers. When a bacterium was found responsible, it completely changed the way that ulcers are treated.
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Prevalence of Peptic Ulcers
Peptic ulcers are far less common than they were several decades ago, even in areas that have high rates of H. pylori infection. Researchers think that the increased use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has helped to prevent ulcers. According to a 2005 study, prescriptions for PPIs have more than tripled since 1985.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Long-term NSAID use can cause ulcers and other stomach problems. NSAIDS include ibuprofen and naproxen. Patients who are diagnosed with ulcers should stop using these drugs. In 2005, the FDA requested that NSAID drug labels include more detailed information on gastrointestinal bleeding and other risks.
Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
- PPI drugs are now regularly used to prevent and treat ulcers. These drugs include omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and rabeprazole (Aciphex). A fifth PPI, pantoprazole (Protonix), is not approved for ulcer therapy.
- For patients who use NSAIDs, preventing ulcers with PPIs may be better than destroying H. pylori with antibiotics, according to a 2005 review. PPIs help block stomach acid production and reduce the risk for ulcers, even when H. pylori are present. PPI side effects may include headache and diarrhea.
- The standard drug treatment for H. pylori -caused ulcers combines two antibiotics with a PPI. This combination is usually taken over a 14-day period. Recent research indicates that a 7-day treatment may work just as well.
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