Efficacy and Safety of Potassium-Competitive Acid Blockers Versus Proton Pump Inhibitors As Helicobacter Pylori Eradication Therapy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

is a gram-negative bacterium that chronically infects the gastric epithelium. Potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) are a promising alternative, being more potent than standard proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The meta-analysis followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing P-CAB and PPI-based therapy, confirmed infection, and measured eradication rates after at least four weeks. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on therapy type and trial location. Quality assessment used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, RoB 2.0, and statistical analysis was performed using ReviewManager (RevMan) 5.4 (2020; The Cochrane Collaboration, London, United Kingdom). A p-value of <0.05 is considered statistically significant. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, P-CABs demonstrated superior overall efficacy, consistently observed in the first-line treatment subgroup. However, no significant difference was found in the subgroup receiving salvage therapy. Another ITT subgroup analyzed the impact of geographical location, favoring P-CABs in the overall study population and the Japanese subgroup. However, no statistically significant differences were found in the subgroups of other countries. In the PPA, P-CABs showed superior efficacy overall, consistently seen in the first-line treatment subgroup. However, no significant difference was found in the subgroup receiving salvage eradication therapy. Another PPA subgroup analysis considered the geographical impact on eradication rates, revealing P-CABs as superior to PPIs in the overall study population and the Japanese subgroup, but not in other countries. No significant adverse event outcomes were observed. P-CAB-based triple therapy is more effective than PPI-based triple therapy as the primary treatment for eradication, particularly in Japanese patients. Nevertheless, regarding salvage therapy, both treatments show comparable efficacy. Additionally, the tolerability of P-CAB-based and PPI-based triple therapy is similar, with a similar occurrence of adverse events.