Omeprazole reduces residual steatorrhoea in children with cystic fibrosis receiving large doses of pancreatic enzyme supplementation.

A study with random cross-over design examined the impact of Omeprazole (proton-pump inhibitor) on fat absorption in cystic fibrosis people with residual steatorrhoea.

In total, 24 people with cystic fibrosis who still had persistent symptomatic steatorrhoea despite a daily high dose of at least 10,000 U lipase/kg per day (pancreatic enzymes) were candidates for the study. Chemical fat measures in 3-day stool collections along with 3-day weighted meal records for calculating fat absorption were used to compare fat digestion with and without Omeprazole.

During the control evaluation, the outcomes of 15 subjects (12 boys and 3 girls) with confirmed steatorrhoea were examined. The median age was 8.7 years and the age range was 3.5 to 15.9 years. The median daily lipase intake was 13,500 U/kg/day (range 10,000–22,000 U/kg).

The median fecal fat loss per day when taking Omeprazole reduced from 13 g (quartiles 11.5-16.5 g/day) to 5.5 g (quartiles 4.9-8.1 g/day). Calculation of fat absorption revealed a similar improvement: 94% (quartiles 90-96%) with Omeprazole compared to 87% (quartiles 81-89%) without Omeprazole.

Omeprazole enhances fat digestion and absorption in individuals having cystic fibrosis with residual fecal fat loss despite the maximal substitution of pancreatic enzymes.