[Drug therapy of peptic ulcer in the elderly]

Abstract

Medical therapy of peptic ulcers in elderly patients should depend on drugs which have to be administered only once daily. In addition, the ideal compound should have minimal side effects as well as minimal, if any, interactions with concomitant forms of therapy. From this point of view, acid-inhibitory drugs are preferable to other anti-ulcer drugs, the latter having little importance in advanced age. For ulcer healing, the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole is recommended, whereas H2-blockers (predominantly ranitidine) are the first choice in long-term therapy in order to prevent relapses. Treatments directed towards eradication of Helicobacter pylori should be regarded with great caution in the elderly at the present time.