[Factors influencing healing of duodenal ulcer in smokers treated with cimetidine]

Abstract

In 118 male patients with duodenal ulcer smoking cigarettes, treatment with cimetidine 1 g/day promoted healing of the ulcers in 67% after four weeks. No differences were observed between healed and not healed patients for age, symptom period before treatment, early onset and multiple ulcers. In not healed patients, more had a greater ulcer diameter (p less than 0.001) and more were heavy smokers (greater than 30 cig./day; p less than 0.001). In not healed patients, pentagastrin-induced maximal acid output, corrected for age, was higher than in healed patients (p less than 0.001). We confirmed the linear relationship between acid output and the number of cigarettes smoked per day (p less than 0.001). By the stepwise logistic regression model, the following factors were selected as predictors for healing of duodenal ulcer with 68% correct classification: ulcer size (p less than 0.01) and daily consumption of cigarettes (p less than 0.01). (Acta gastroenterol. Belg., 1990, 53, 299-306).