Quadruple therapy as first choice for eradication of H. pylori due to clarithromycin-resistance

Helicobacter pylori is associated with benign and malignant diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Increasing antibiotic resistance has made alternative treatments necessary.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection: 13C urea breath test or the stool antigen test as “test and treat strategy”. BMJ, 2012.

Empirical triple therapy (proton-pump inhibitor, clarithromycin, amoxicillin) is currently the first choice for eradication of Helicobacter pylori. As antibiotic resistance to clarithromycin (which has a crucial role in eradication) has increased. The eradication rate with triple therapy has gradually decreased below 80%, and even less.

The aim of this study reported in The Lancet was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new, single-capsule treatment versus the gold standard for H. pylori eradication (triple therapy).

A randomised, open-label trial of adults with H. pylori infection compared the efficacy and safety of:

- quadruple therapy: 10 days of quadruple therapy with omeprazole plus a single three-in-one capsule containing bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline

- standard therapy: 7 days of omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin (editor note: why not 14 days of therapy?)

H. pylori eradication was established by negative 13C urea breath tests at 28 and 56 days after the end of treatment.

The eradication rates were 80% in the quadruple therapy group versus 55% in the standard therapy group.

The study authors concluded that quadruple therapy should be considered for first-line treatment in view of the rising prevalence of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori. Quadruple therapy provides superior eradication with similar safety and tolerability to standard therapy.

References:

Helicobacter pylori eradication with a capsule containing bismuth subcitrate potassium, metronidazole, and tetracycline given with omeprazole versus clarithromycin-based triple therapy: a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial. The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9769, Pages 905 - 913, 12 March 2011.

Quadruple or triple therapy to eradicate H pylori. The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9769, Pages 877 - 878, 12 March 2011.

H. pylori eradication provides benefits to patients with functional dyspepsia http://goo.gl/UwxsT

H. pylori image courtesy of www.hpylori.com.au.

Tiotropium for COPD: A good foundation therapy for most patients

From a BMJ Editorial:

Tiotropium is a once daily, inhaled, long acting anticholinergic drug (LAMA) that provides 24 hour improvement in airflow and hyperinflation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Clinical trials have consistently shown that these physiological effects translate into improvements in:

- lung function

- exercise tolerance

- health related quality of life

- fewer exacerbations

References:

Tiotropium and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMJ, 2010.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/340/feb19_1/c833

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

What drug to add to maximal metformin therapy for diabetes?

Metformin is the recommended initial drug therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the optimal second-line drug when metformin monotherapy fails is unclear.

All noninsulin antidiabetic drugs were associated with similar HbA1c reductions but differed in their associations with weight gain and risk of hypoglycemia.

The different classes of drugs were associated with similar HbA1c reductions (range, 0.64%-0.97%) compared with placebo.

Noninsulin antidiabetic drugs and their effect on body weight:

- thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, and glinides were associated with weight gain (range, 1.77-2.08 kg)

- glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors were associated with weight loss or no weight change

Sulfonylureas and glinides were associated with higher rates of hypoglycemia than with placebo.

References:

Effect of Noninsulin Antidiabetic Drugs Added to Metformin Therapy on Glycemic Control, Weight Gain, and Hypoglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA. 2010;303(14):1410-1418. doi: 10.1001/jama.2010.405

Insulin treatment for type 2 diabetes: When to start, which to use - The Cleveland Clinic approach

Image source: Metformin. Wikipedia, public domain.