Decline in peptic ulcers among South Asian people
- Published date :
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Apr 1, 2009
MedWire News: There has been a significant decline in the prevalence of peptic ulcers among people in Asia since the late 1980s, results of a Malaysian study suggest.
However, the team also found that that the prevalence of erosive oesophagitis has increased dramatically among Asian people over the same period, possibly reflecting an increase in western-type lifestyles.
Dr K- L Goh, from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, and colleagues studied the medical records of 3252 multiracial South Asian patients at their medical centre who underwent gastro-oesophageal examinations for the first time between 1989 and 1990, and those of 4615 patients who underwent first-time examinations between 1999 and 2000.
Over the 10-year interval between the two study periods, the researchers found that the prevalence of intestinal ulcers fell from 21.1% to 9.5% and that of stomach ulcers fell from 11.9% to 9.4%.
Correspondingly, the proportion of people infected with the peptic ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori also fell 51.7% to 30.3%.
However, the team also found that the prevalence of erosive oesophagitis increased from 2.0% to 8.4% of the 10-year period.
The increase in erosive oesophagitis was most marked in people with Indian racial backgrounds, while the decrease in peptic ulcers and Helicobacter pylori infection occurred amongst all races.
The researchers also found that there was a decrease in stomach and oesophageal cancer over the study period.
Dr Goh and team summarise: “We have observed interesting changes in the pattern of upper gastro-intestinal disease with time. Peptic ulcer disease had declined significantly with a concomitant drop in Helicobacter pylori prevalence rates. At the same time, erosive oesophagitis had increased significantly.”
They conclude: “The exact reasons for these observed changes are difficult to 'pin-point', but Westernisation or modernisation of the population with an increasing affluent lifestyle and improved hygiene would appear putative.”
