The Influence of Antirheumatic Drugs on the Occurrence of Peptic Ulcers: A Controlled Study of Patients with Chronic Rheumatic Diseases

Abstract

46 patients who had an ulcer (verified by X-ray pictures) during treatment at the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital were compared with two patient groups of the same size. The first control group consisted of randomly selected patients who had been examined in the same way for the same indications but where the X-ray pictures did not show any ulcer. The subjects in the second control group were of the same age and sex as the ulcer patients; this control group did not undergo any X-ray examination and had no history of ulcer. The study revealed that although most rheumatic patients were women (as in the first control group) there were significantly more men among the ulcer patients. The use of rapidly dissolving acetylsalicylic acid tablets was more common in the ulcer group; correspondingly the slowly absorbed tablets were used significantly more often by the controls. The risk of ulcer was also increased by the simultaneous use of several anti-inflammatory analgesics and/or corticosteroids.