Suppression of acid secretion in peptic ulcer disease.

Until recently, suppression of gastric acid secretion in patients with peptic ulcer was empirical and of unproven value. Anticholinergic drugs had only modest inhibitory effects on acid secretion, many side effects, and uncertain efficacy. Controlled trials using antacids demonstrated the value of reducing gastric acidity for healing duodenal ulcer. The discovery of histamine-2 (H2) receptor antagonists in the 1970s and the introduction of H+,K(+)-ATPase inhibitors in the 1980s made reduction of acid secretion the first-choice modality for healing and preventing recurrences of duodenal and gastric ulcers. The demonstration in the late 1980s and early 1990s that Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was a major risk factor for duodenal and gastric ulcer recurrences suggested that peptic ulcer could be cured by eradicating this organism from the stomach. However, antibiotic eradication of Hp can be difficult, often requiring simultaneous administration of a drug that suppresses acid secretion. Therefore, H2 and proton pump inhibitors continue to play a role in the management of duodenal and gastric ulcers associated with Hp and also play a primary role in the therapy of other acid-related disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux diseases, stress ulcers, ulcers associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and gastrinoma (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) and other acid hypersecretory states.