A Study of Peptic Ulcer and Associated Risk Factors Among Patients Undergoing Upper GIT Endoscopy in Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq

Background: Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a multifactorial disease whose global prevalence has reduced over the past years. Objectives: This study aimed to determine PUD's prevalence and risk factors and the associated risk factors behind this disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Duhok, Kurdistan, Iraq, between August 11 and December 17, 2022. A total of 218 patients (116 males and 102 females) who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy by specialists at Azadi Teaching Hospital were interviewed face-to-face. The participants' ages ranged between 18 and 81. The upper GIT endoscopy was performed using a PENTAXI-scan 5000-type endoscopy. Results: The prevalence of peptic ulcers among the participants was 30 (13.8%), 27 (12.4%) duodenal ulcers and 3 (1.4%) gastric ulcers. Abdominal pain was the primary complaint, reported by (39%) of the participants, followed by heartburn (28.4%) and vomiting (6.9%). Regarding the risk factors for developing peptic ulcer among the studied cases, NSAID use was the highest risk factor (25.7%), followed by spicy food (21.6%), smoking (20.6%), family history (17%), and Helicobacter pylori infection (12.4%). A significant association was observed between H. pylori (P = 0.001) and gender (P = 0.001) with peptic ulcer. Additionally, (5%) of the participants reported melena as a complication, while only (2.3%) reported hematemesis. Conclusions: This study found that 13.8% of individuals undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy exhibit peptic ulcers, with 12.4% manifesting duodenal ulcers and 1.4% exhibiting gastric ulcers. Identified risk factors for peptic ulcer disease include sex and H. pylori infection. Further research is crucial to thoroughly explore the impact of various factors on the development of PUD.