Abstract

A multiple linear regression analysis was carried out on 75 inpatients with gastric ulcer. In order to elucidate the effects of various factors - endoscopic and roentgenological findings, age, sex, medical history, and drugs such as antacids, anticholinergics or both - on the healing rate, these factors were compared between those with ulcer which healed within eight weeks after treatment and those which did not. In patients over 50 years of age, alcohol consumption of over 60 g per day until admission, duration of present ulcer pain for over three months, single ulcer, ulcer located in the lesser curvature and uneven elevation around the ulcer, there was significant delaying effect on ulcer healing. Drug ingestion, sex, smoking habits until admission, size, depth, and shape of ulcer, coexisting gastritis, and past and family history of ulcer disease had no significant effect on healing after eight weeks. The patients with less than two unfavourable factors (n = 46) had the best healing rate (100%) compared with those with three (n = 20) or four or more (n = 9) unfavourable factors. The healing rate of the latter two groups was 60% and 22%, respectively (p less than 0.001). A prognostic score based on these six factors represents the severity of gastric ulcer disease with regard to the healing rate in patients prescribed antacids, and/or anticholinergic drugs.