Effect of smoking in a controlled study of ranitidine treatment in gastroesophageal reflux disease

Smoking has been shown to be a factor in acid peptic disease. A recent U.S. multicenter trial investigating use of ranitidine in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease provided an opportunity to compare smokers and nonsmokers with regard to demographic features, manifestations of disease, and symptomatic response to treatment. A comparison of characteristics of smokers and nonsmokers revealed similar pretrial clinical findings. No significant differences between groups were found with regard to previous complications or recent symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. There were also no significant differences in the way smokers and nonsmokers responded to treatment. Subjects on ranitidine, regardless of their smoking status, showed significantly greater improvement in heartburn symptoms and consumed less antacid than subjects who received placebo. Results of these analyses indicate that smoking as an independent variable was not related to symptomatic response or esophageal healing and that ranitidine was similarly effective in decreasing heartburn symptoms in smokers and nonsmokers.