QUALITY-OF-LIFE DURING ACUTE AND INTERMITTENT TREATMENT OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE WITH OMEPRAZOLE COMPARED WITH RANITIDINE - RESULTS FROM A MULTICENTER CLINICAL-TRIAL

Aims. To investigate quality of life in patients with gastro-oesophage al reflux disease. Patients, A series of 704 patients were randomised to treatment with ranitidine 150 mg bd, omeprazole 10 mg om or omepraz ole 20 mg om for 2 weeks, Asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic patients wer e followed for 12 months. Methods. The Psychological General Well-Bein g index and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale were completed b efore and during short-term and intermittent treatment. Results. The q uality of life response rate was >80%. The majority of the patients re ceiving omeprazole 20 mg om (55%) had symptom relief after 2 weeks des pite the fact that more patients on ranitidine required 4 weeks treatm ent and an increased dose. There was no difference in the reflux dimen sion of Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale between treatments in th e initial treatment phase, but the total Gastrointestinal Symptom Rati ng Scale score improved significantly more on omeprazole 10 mg om than on ranitidine 150 mg bd (p=0.006). Both doses of omeprazole improved the total Psychological General Well-Being score more than ranitidine (omeprazole 10 mg om versus ranitidine 150 mg bd, p=0.005, omeprazole 20 mg om versus ranitidine 150 mg bd, p=0.031). During follow-up, rela psing patients returned to pre-treatment symptom and well-being scores , but these dimensions were restored after treatment. Conclusion. The quality of life is impaired in patients presenting with reflux symptom s. Irrespective of whether the pa tients presented with endoscopy posi tive or endoscopy negative reflux disease, treatment on demand improve d the quality of life.