Peptic Ulcer Disease in Elderly Population of Arar City, Northern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a common disease of the digestive system. Peptic ulcer disease is a problem of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by mucosal damage secondary to pepsin and gastric acid secretion. It usually occurs in the stomach and proximal duodenum; less commonly, it occurs in the lower esophagus, the distal duodenum, or the jejunum. IT is a multifactorial health problem affecting almost all populations worldwide. The number of people who are ≥ 60 years old increased worldwide. The elderly population is susceptible to various benign and malignant diseases. Peptic ulcer is among the common health problems that affect the elderly. Aim of the study: this study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of PUD in elderly population of Arar city, Northern Saudi Arabia. Subjects and methods: this was a cross sectional study and conducted in five randomly selected primary healthcare centers in Arar city (KSA), from September 2017 to March 2018. It included 217 elderly patients. A questionnaire was designed for data collection about socio-demographic variables, smoking, BMI, chronic diseases and physician diagnosed peptic ulcer among participants. Results: our findings showed that out of 217 of the studied elders, 55.3% were females and 21.2% were suffered from peptic ulcer. There were significant relations between peptic ulcer with gender, marital status, educational level and smoking status, while there was an insignificant relation between peptic ulcer with age group and BMI group. On the other hand, there were significant relations between peptic ulcer and musculoskeletal disorders, kidney diseases and insomnia. While, there was insignificant relations between peptic ulcer and cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus and psychological disorders. Conclusion: among the elderly participants 21.2% were suffered from peptic ulcer. There was a significant relation between peptic ulcer with gender, smoking status, musculoskeletal disorders, kidney diseases and insomnia. While, there was insignificant relations between peptic ulcer with age group and BMI group.