Comparison of ranitidine and sucralfate in the long-term treatment of duodenal ulcer.

We evaluated long-term treatment with either ranitidine (R) or sucralfate (S) in the prevention of duodenal ulcer recurrences. Fifty-nine patients with healed ulcers were randomly allocated to maintenance treatment with 150 mg R nightly or 2 g/day S. By using a life table analysis, the calculated probable remission rates at 4, 8, and 12 months were 90, 85, and 53% with R, respectively, and 62, 62, and 53% with S, respectively. These differences were not significant at any interval. In both groups ulcer relapse was independent of sex, smoking habit, and alcohol and coffee consumption, whereas a history longer than 5 years was significantly related to a higher probability of recurrence. No relevant clinical or biochemical side effects were encountered with either drug, but compliance rate was higher in the R group. R and S are equally effective in preventing duodenal ulcer relapse over a 1-year period of maintenance treatment, although R proved to be more effective in preventing early relapse.