EFFECTS OF SMOKING, ALCOHOL AND COFFEE DRINKING ON THE COURSE OF PEPTIC ULCER

Even today, there are many uncertain problems concerning the handling of favorite foods in the treatment of peptic ulcer, and also there are very few studies of their effects on the course of peptic ulcer. Therefore, the authors studied the effects of smoking, alcohol and coffee drinking on the recurrence and healing of peptic ulcer. Subjects of the study were 591 cases of peptic ulcer, which were followed endoscopically for 5 years and 11 months on the average. The results were as follows; 1. Smoking raised recurrence rate of peptic ulcer significantly, and also depressed its healing rate moderately. This habbit seems to affect adversely on the course of peptic ulcer. 2. Alcohol and coffee drinking did not inflict clearly on the recurrence and healing rates of peptic ulcer.