Long-term follow-up of 2529 patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer: survival rate and causes of death.

We investigated 2529 patients with peptic ulcer diagnosed from 1963 to 1975 to determine the prognosis relative to life span and causes of death. During the follow-up period of 9-23 yr, 486 patients (19.2%) died, 2025 (80.1%) were alive, and the fate of 18 (0.7%) was unknown. No significant differences were found between these numbers and the numbers expected from the sex- and age-matched general population at 1-20 yr after the initial diagnosis for patients with gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, or both gastric and duodenal ulcer, or for all ulcer groups combined. The survival rate for the surgically treated patients did not differ from the expected survival rate. The number of deaths from peptic ulcer (observed/expected = 18/5.47) was statistically high and the number from cerebrovascular disease was significantly low. Our results show that for patients with a peptic ulcer, the prognosis relative to life span is as good as that of the general population and surgery has little influence on the prognosis.