Proton pump inhibitors use is associated with a lower risk of acute exacerbation and mortality in patients with coexistent COPD and GERD

Objective: The effect of antacid therapy for patients with COPD and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains unclear. Patients and methods: This nationwide population-based study was conducted using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, and enrolled COPD patients with or without GERD. Patients with COPD who were not prescribed COPD medications were excluded. Patients with GERD who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or 24-hour pH monitoring and received at least 1 antacid were enrolled as symptomatic GERD group. The primary endpoint was acute exacerbation and mortality. Results: This study included 3,485 patients with COPD and symptomatic GERD, and 13,938 patients with COPD alone and covered 12,806.57 and 56,809.78 person-years, respectively, from 2000 to 2011. After multivariate adjustment, symptomatic GERD was associated with acute exacerbation (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.23-1.48, p<0.0001) and mortality (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.25-1.61, p<0.0001). In the COPD with symptomatic GERD group, use of proton pump inhibitors was associated with a lower risk of acute exacerbation and mortality (acute exacerbation, HR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.20-0.50, p<0.0001; mortality, HR 0.36, 95% CI: 0.20-0.65, p=0.0007), whereas no significant benefit was observed for histamine2-receptor antagonists. Conclusion: Use of proton pump inhibitors was associated with a lower risk of acute exacerbation and mortality in the patients with COPD and symptomatic GERD.