An evaluation of the bile acid binding and antacid properties of hydrotalcite in hiatus hernia and peptic ulceration.

The bile acid binding and antacid properties of hydrotalcite were studied in 25 patients with hiatus hernia or peptic ulceration. Hydrotalcite was found to have significant bile acid binding properties in the presence of free acid in the stomach. There was a definite antacid effect in both pathological entities. These results suggest that hydrotalcite may be an effective therapeutic agent in upper gastro-intestinal ulceration, warranting further investigation in lesions which are thought to involve both hydrochloric acid and bile acids in their pathogenesis.