Eradication of Helicobacter pylori and use of antisecretory drugs: population based cohort study

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Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is an important risk factor for peptic ulcers. If infection with H pylori is cured, ulcers associated with H pylori do not recur. An H pylori “test and treat” strategy for patients with peptic ulcers having long term antisecretory treatment has been suggested, in the hope that eradicating H pylori would curtail the rising use of antiulcer drugs.1 2 We describe the long term effect of eradicating H pylori on the use of antiulcer medication in a population of patients with peptic ulcers. We included all patients in the Danish county of Funen (population 470 000) who redeemed their first prescription for eradicating H pylori between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1996 and who had uncomplicated peptic ulcers endoscopically verified before or at the date of redeeming this prescription. We drew data on gastroscopically and endoscopically verified diagnoses of peptic ulcers …