title: [Prevalence and features of peptic ulcers in the elderly: a retrospective study on a not hospitalized population aged 65 or over].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of peptic ulcer increases with aging. Data relative to peptic ulcer in the elderly are around 5.2% to 9.9%. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and the features of peptic ulcer in a non hospitalized population aged 65 or over.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed, for the first time, EGDS on 706 patients with symptoms related to the superior gastroenteric tract. We considered the following risk factors: familiarity for peptic disease, habits, eventual use of FANS, infection of Hp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data show that peptic ulcer increases with aging and with physiopathological age-related changes. 114 (16.1%) patients were affected by DU; 84 (11.9%) patients were affected by GU Symptoms thereafter were not clear: epigastralgy was present in 46.4% of patients affected by GU; pyrosis, belchings, swellings, epigastric headness were present in 37.7% of patients with DU. Several times PU may arise with some complications: melena was present in 14.9% of patients with DU vs 11.9% of patients with GU, hematemesis was present in 1.7% of patients with DU vs 5.9% of patients with G.U. The most important risk factor was the infection of Hp, at was present in 71.9% patients with GU and 81.6% patients with DU FANS assumption, often with high dose, was present in 30.9% of patients with GU and 18.4% of patients with DU.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi, Reggio Calabria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lacava
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iannazzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Medici
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saccà
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodinò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giglio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattace