While  aspirin reduces risk for cardiovascular problems, it can harm the stomach and upper GI tract.  However, in a randomized study, Pepcid® (famotidine) reduced stomach and duodenal ulcers and damage to the esophagus for people taking low-dose aspirin for protection against heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers in the United Kingdom used an endoscope to examine the throats and stomachs of patients being treated with low-dose aspirin (85 to 325 mg a day).  They randomly assigned 400 patients without signs of existing GI damage to 20 milligrams of famotidine twice a day or a placebo.  Neither patients or doctors knew who was getting the drug or who was received a placebo.

Twelve weeks later, they looked again for ulcers and esophageal erosion.   Read the rest of this entry »