Aim: To assess the risk factors and the efficacy of medications of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers among Chinese patients in Taiwan.
Methods: Patients with peptic ulcers, diagnosed by upper endoscopy, were retrospectively collected between January 2008 and December 2008. The differences were compared.
Results: Among all 448 cases, 254 (56.6%) and 194 (43.4%) patients had gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers respectively. Patients with gastric ulcers were younger than those with duodenal ulcers. Although more men existed, there was a female predominance in middle-aged cases. Patients with duodenal ulcers had a higher rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection (62.4% vs 43.3%, P = 0.001), and those with gastric ulcers owned a significantly higher amount of aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use (7.5% vs 1.5%, 6.7% vs 2.1%, P = 0.001). Tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking had no different impact between these two groups. Proton-pump inhibitors and H2-receptor antagonists (H2RA) were effective, but significantly less so in cases with duodenal ulcers receiving H2RAs, or in those with H. pylori infection and a history of NSAID use.
Conclusion: Patients with gastric ulcers had lower H. pylori infection but more aspirin or NSAID use. Antisecretory therapy was ineffective in gastric ulcers underwent H2RA treatment, and cases combined H. pylori infection and NSAID use.