Research Article Upper gastrointestinal disorders induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Aims: We examined the characteristics of upper gastrointestinal disorders induced by non-steroidal anti-in- flammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Methodology: The question - naire investigation was performed over a five year period. Results: A study was performed on 354 patients (161 men and 193 women with mean ages of 66.0 and 70.7 years, re- spectively) who developed NSAIDs associated upper GI dis- orders: 21 patients had AGML, 212 had gastric ulcer, 63 had duodenal ulcer, 17 had gastroduodenal ulcers and 41 other cases. About 75 % of patients received NSAIDs for ortho- pedic conditions. Sixty percent of gastric disorders induced by NSAIDs affected the antrum or angulus of the stomach. The incidence of disorders of the gastric antrum was signifi - cantly higher in women than in men whilst the incidence of disorders on the gastric angulus was significantly higher in men than in women (p < 0.05). The proportion of patients with abdominal pain was significantly lower in patients over 65 years old than in those under 65 years old, and the pro- portion of patients with hematemesis or melena was signifi - cantly higher in patients over 80 years old than in those under 80 years old (p < 0.05). The time taken to achieve the healing stage was significantly longer in patients with greater than 3 months NSAIDs ingestion compared to patients that had received NSAIDs for less than 3 months (p < 0.05). Con- clusions: Patients 65 years old and over with continuous NSAIDs use had asymptomatic ulcers, and patients 80 years old and over had hemorrhagic ulcers.