Gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in the elderly

Peptic ulcer disease continues to be an important medical and surgical problem for the elderly patient. The higher prevalence of H. pylori infection, NSAIDs use, atypical presentations of ulcer disease, end comorbid conditions all contribute to a higher incidence of morbidity and mortality from ulcer disease in the elderly. It is important to seriously consider the diagnosis of ulcer disease in the elderly patient when confronted with vague abdominal or systemic complaints. Ulcer disease must be aggressively treated in the elderly to prevent complications because of the significantly increased risk of death in this population.