Relation between cardiac failure and gastric ulcer in the older age group.

There is no more controversial subject in the medical literature than the pathogenesis of gastric and duodenal ulcer. To review all the literature dealing with this problem is beyond the scope of this paper. Wewould like, however, to refer to one overlooked fact which seems to be of importance, namely that acute and chronic gastric ulcers are frequently found at autopsy in persons who have died from seemingly unrelated causes. The state of nutrition of the gastric mucosa at different points and the functional disturbances and chemical changes in the development of a chronic ulcer are well known. To the more familiar etiological factors we believe there should be added cardiac decompensation of various degrees and secondary arteriosclerotic heart disease. In an earlier study on gastric ulcers in the older age group, one of us (M. M. K.) noticed a rather high percentage of gastrointestinal complaints among cardiac patients. It was believed that “indigestion” in this group was due either to congestion of the...