Paffenbarger, R. S., Jr. (California State Dept. of Health. 2151 Berkeley Way. Berkeley, Calif. 94704), A. L. Wing and R. T. Hyde. Chronic disease in former college students. XIII. Early precursors of peptic ulcer. Am J Epidmmiol 100:307–316, 1974.—Of 26,954 male former students returning a mailed questionnaire, 487 reported that doctor-diagnosed peptic ulcer developed since college case-taking. College health and other records revealed characteristics that predisposed to an increased incidence of peptic ulcer later in life: coffee and soft drinks consumption; tobacco smoking habits; lower levels of systolic blood pressure; less participation in physical activity and varsity sports; and history of indigestion or diarrhea. Paired combinations of these characteristics in youth additively augmented the risk of subsequent peptic ulcer. Surprisingly, neither tea nor alcohol consumption in college influenced incidence of peptic ulcer, but milk consumption was inversely related. None of 10 self-assessed personality traits or a similar battery of doctor-assessed psychological traits distinguished students who later developed peptic ulcer. Habitual coffee consumption in college emerged as the best predictor of subsequent peptic ulcer, while milk consumption identified those most likely to remain ulcer-free.