Trial reportBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2021
Use of proton pump inhibitors to treat persistent throat symptoms: multicentre, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial.
Trial report in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials of traditional Chinese medicine for chronic pharyngitis: a scoping review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Randomized Controlled Trial of Upper Esophageal Sphincter Assist Device in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2026Trial
- Optimizing Evaluation of Gastroesophageal Reflux With Atypical Symptoms: Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Minimalization Analysis.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2026Article
- Sliding hiatal hernia detected by transnasal esophagogastroscopy is associated with poorer treatment response in reflux-associated globus sensation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Laryngopharyngeal Symptoms and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease: Presentation, Health Care Burden, and Risk Stratification.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Review
- Complete Resolution of Persistent Globus Pharyngeus Using Cervical Plexus Block: A Case Report.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
- Appropriate prescribing and deprescribing of proton pump inhibitors: New Choosing Wisely Canada toolkit.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2026Article
- Gatherings in Esophagology: Innovations and Future Directions in the Diagnosis and Management of Reflux Disease.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Article
- [Treatment status and progress of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease].Lin chuang er bi yan hou tou jing wai ke za zhi = Journal of clinical otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery · 2025Article
- Review Article: Individualised Management of Reflux-Like Symptoms-Strategies Beyond Acid Suppression.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2025Review
- The role of an anti-reflux diet in the treatment of chronic cough caused by laryngopharyngeal reflux.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Observational
- Article
- Chronic cough as a disease.ERJ open research · 2024Review
- The Impact of a Twice-daily Versus Once-daily Proton Pump Inhibitor Dosing Regimen on Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Symptoms: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2024Article
- Overlapping approach Proton Pump Inhibitors/Nux vomica-Heel as new intervention for gastro-esophageal reflux management: Delphi consensus study.World journal of gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Latin American consensus on diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2024Article
- Review article: Diagnosis and management of laryngopharyngeal reflux.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2024Review
- Narrative review of relationship between chronic cough and laryngopharyngeal reflux.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Review
- Practical multidisciplinary framework for the assessment and management of patients with unexplained chronic aerodigestive symptoms.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2023Review
- Somatic anxiety in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat persistent throat symptoms.
designPragmatic, double blind, placebo controlled, randomised trial.
settingEight ear, nose, and throat outpatient clinics, United Kingdom.
participants346 patients aged 18 years or older with persistent throat symptoms who were randomised according to recruiting centre and baseline severity of symptoms (mild or severe): 172 to lansoprazole and 174 to placebo.
interventionRandom blinded allocation (1:1) to either 30 mg lansoprazole twice daily or matched placebo twice daily for 16 weeks.
main outcome measuresPrimary outcome was symptomatic response at 16 weeks measured using the total reflux symptom index (RSI) score. Secondary outcomes included symptom response at 12 months, quality of life, and throat appearances.
resultsOf 1427 patients initially screened for eligibility, 346 were recruited. The mean age of the study sample was 52.2 (SD 13.7) years, 196 (57%) were women, and 162 (47%) had severe symptoms at presentation; these characteristics were balanced across treatment arms. The primary analysis was performed on 220 patients who completed the primary outcome measure within a window of 14-20 weeks. Mean RSI scores were similar between treatment arms at baseline: lansoprazole 22.0 (95% confidence interval 20.4 to 23.6) and placebo 21.7 (20.5 to 23.0). Improvements (reduction in RSI score) were observed in both groups-score at 16 weeks: lansoprazole 17.4 (15.5 to19.4) and placebo 15.6 (13.8 to 17.3). No statistically significant difference was found between the treatment arms: estimated difference 1.9 points (95% confidence interval -0.3 to 4.2 points; P=0.096) adjusted for site and baseline symptom severity. Lansoprazole showed no benefits over placebo for any secondary outcome measure, including RSI scores at 12 months: lansoprazole 16.0 (13.6 to 18.4) and placebo 13.6 (11.7 to 15.5): estimated difference 2.4 points (-0.6 to 5.4 points).
conclusionsNo evidence was found of benefit from PPI treatment in patients with persistent throat symptoms. RSI scores were similar between the lansoprazole and placebo groups after 16 weeks of treatment and at the 12 month follow-up.
trial registrationISRCTN Registry ISRCTN38578686 and EudraCT 2013-004249-17.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.