DG DISPATCH - DDW: Cutting Reflux At The Source
By Andrew Bowser
Special to DG News
ORLANDO, FL -- May 18, 1999 -- Gastroesophageal reflux sufferers may
have a new ally in the form of baclofen, a gamma-amino butyric acid
(GABA)B agonist approved in the United States for the treatment of
spasticity.
Researchers with Royal Adelaide Hospital in Adelaide, Australia have
tested the drug in 20 healthy volunteers given either 40 mg of baclofen
orally or placebo on two separate days at least one week apart.
The findings were presented at Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) in Orlando,
FL.
The drugs were taken approximately 90 minutes before a meal and the
patients sat upright for three hours. The number of reflux episodes
decreased by 70 percent, from 1.0 to 0.3 per hour over the course of
three hours, but no reduction was observed on esophageal acid pressure
or acid clearance time. Additionally, baclofen decreased the rate of
transient lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxations -- the major
mechanism of gastroesophageal reflux for most patients.
The exact mechanism of action remains to be elucidated, but researchers
at DDW said it seems plausible that GABAB receptor agonists inhibit
transient LES relaxations. Even if baclofen became an accepted treatment
for gastroesophageal reflux, a small proportion of patients would not
benefit: those who reflux predominantly due to absent basal lower
esophageal sphincter pressure.
All contents Copyright (c) 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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