Who is affected by peptic ulcer disease
About 1 out of every 10 people in Europe and North America will have a peptic ulcer at some time.1 Ulcers can occur at any age, but they are rare in children. Children who do have ulcers are more likely to have duodenal, rather than gastric, ulcers.
Peptic ulcer disease tends to occur in people who are also infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria or who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- About 1 out of 10 people who are infected with H. pylori develop peptic ulcer disease.2
- Similarly, about 1 out of 10 people who use high doses of NSAIDs, such as people who have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, develop peptic ulcer disease and the problems caused by ulcers, such as bleeding and perforation.3
| Author: | Ralph Poore Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: February 28, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Andrew H. Soll, MD - Gastroenterology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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