epidemiology of gastric ulcer
Last reviewed 01/2018
- common condition in late middle age - incidence increases with age
- approximately twice as common in males than in females
- more common in patients with blood group A
- was more common in lower socio-economic groups - this seems to be changing
- use of NSAIDs - associated with a three- to four-fold increase in risk of gastric ulcer
- less related to Helicobacter pylori than duodenal ulcers - H. pylori can be isolated from 70% of patients with gastric ulcers compared to over 95% of patients with duodenal ulcers