ULCERS
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It is estimated that 2% of the adult
population in the United States has active peptic ulcers, and that
about 10% will develop ulcers at some point in their lives. There
are about 500,000 new cases of peptic ulcer in the United States
every year, with as many as 4 million recurrences. The male/female
ratio for ulcers of the digestive tract is 3:1.
The most common forms of peptic ulcer are duodenal and gastric.
About 80% of all ulcers in the digestive tract are duodenal ulcers.
This type of ulcer may strike people in any age group but is most
common in males between the ages of 20 and 45. The incidence of
duodenal ulcers has dropped over the past 30 years. Gastric ulcers
account for about 16% of peptic ulcers. They are most common in
males between the ages of 55 and 70. The single most common cause of
gastric ulcers is the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
or NSAIDs. The widespread use of NSAIDs is thought to explain why
the incidence of gastric ulcers in the United States is rising. |
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