Peptic ulcer—time trends at the turn of the millennium

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease has undergone profound changes in frequency and clinical presentation over the last two centuries. Before 1900, duodenal ulcer was rare, while gastric ulcer was described as a disease of young women [ [1] Brinton W. On the pathology, symptoms and treatment of ulcer of the stomach. London: John Churchill; 1857. Google Scholar ]. The prevalence of duodenal ulcer then increased in the beginning of the 20th century. From the 1950s to the 1980s hospital admissions and mortality from peptic ulcer declined in Britain for most age groups but admissions for perforated peptic ulcer and mortality from duodenal ulcer increased among older women [ [2] Langman MJS. Aetiology of peptic ulcer. In: Murphy M, Rawlins MD, Venebles CW, editors. Diseases of the gut and pancreas. Oxford: Blackwell; 1987. p. 268–81. Google Scholar ]. Similar patterns have been noted in other western countries and in Denmark, hospitalisation and mortality from peptic ulcer increased from 1981 to 1993, especially among the elderly [ [3] Andersen I.B Bonnevie O Jorgensen T Sorensen T.I Time trends for peptic ulcer disease in Denmark, 1981–1993. Analysis of hospitalization register and mortality data. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 1998; 33: 260-266 Crossref PubMed Scopus (45) Google Scholar ].