Somatostatin reduces gastric mucosal blood flow in patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy: a randomized, double-blind crossover study

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Somatostatin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

In this placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, 20 cirrhotic patients with PHG were randomly assigned to receive either somatostatin followed by placebo (Group A) or placebo followed by somatostatin (Group B).

Wedged hepatic venous pressure was monitored.

Who Took Part

The study group was 20 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

Nine patients were assigned to Group A, and 11 to Group B.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Somatostatin and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Somatostatin study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Some patients received a placebo instead of Somatostatin, giving a reference point.

In the crossover set-up each of the patients took both Somatostatin and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

GMBF in the antrum and corpus was assessed by reflectance spectrophotometry.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Gastric Mucosa, Hemodynamics, Hepatic Veins, Hypertension, Portal, Liver Cirrhosis, Regional Blood Flow and Somatostatin.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Somatostatin in 20 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1996 (Digestive diseases and sciences), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Somatostatin compound page, all human trials.