epidemiology of duodenal ulcer
Last reviewed 12/2022
- four times more common in men than women
- most common in middle age - peak 30-50 years
- strong genetic influence:
- three times more common in first degree relatives of patients with an ulcer than in the general population
- more common in patients with blood group O
- more common in non-secretors of ABO blood group antigens into body fluids such as saliva
- increased incidence in white males with HLA-B5 antigen
- associated with increased serum pepsinogen
- reportedly lower incidence in lower socio-economic groups
- Helicobacter pylori infection is often seen - over 95% of patients with a duodenal ulcer are infected with H. pylori
- smoking is twice as common in patients with chronic peptic ulceration than the general population