title: Gastric and duodenal ulcer healing under placebo treatment.
abstract: The healing time relation of 30 gastric and 15 duodenal ulcers was assessed by repeated endoscopic measurements of ulcer size on days 1, 21, and 42 of a 6-week period, during which a selected population of patients was being treated as outpatients on an inert placebo. Antacids in small amounts were only given in case of ulcer pain. There was evidence for a linear relationship between the absolute initial ulcer size and its reduction with the time in incompletely healed ulcers of both types. Their percentage reduction from the original size was 71% after 3 weeks in gastric and 83% in duodenal ulcers; 82% after 6 weeks in gastric and 83% in duodenal ulcers. The healing time course for both types of ulcers appeared to follow an exponential function. The calculated half-life was 1.7 weeks for gastric and 1.9 weeks for duodenal ulcers. The number of healed duodenal ulcers observed at the 3-week examination was significantly greater than that of healed gastric ulcers (P = 0.05). It is concluded that repeated measurements of the ulcer size before complete ulcer healing contribute to a optimal characterization of the healing time course. The calculated half-life of less than 2 weeks makes shorter control intervals reasonable for both types of ulcers. The ulcer half-life appears to be a more accurate criterion of the healing process than that of complete healing.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000863:Antacids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010919:Placebos; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000863:Antacids; D010919:Placebos