The Role of Vitamin D Deficiency in Predicting Peptic Ulcer Risk

Peptic ulcer continues to be a significant global health issue, largely due to Helicobacter pylori infection and vitamin D deficiency. H. pylori acts on mucosal damage through inflammation and increased gastric acid secretion, while vitamin D deficiency compromises immune defenses and hinders mucosal healing. The study aimed to assess the impact of vitamin D levels and H. pylori infection as predictive risk factors for peptic ulcer development. A total of 110 patients (aged 20–65) from the Gastroenterology Clinic in Babylon Province, Iraq, between March and October of 2024 were chosen for this cross-sectional study; they were categorized based on upper gastrointestinal endoscopic for peptic ulcer diagnosis and H. pylori status. A strong correlation was observed between H. pylori infection and PU (p = 0.001). Remarkably, vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was highly significant (p < 0.001) and more distributed in patients with H. pylori Ve+ (84.3%) and displayed lower vitamin D levels (12.65 ng/mL) compared to H. pylori Ve- patients (39.0%) with levels of 17.37 (p = 0.017). Logistic regression analysis identified vitamin D deficiency as a strong independent risk factor for both H. pylori infection (OR = 8.41, 95% CI: 3.36–21.07) and progressive peptic ulcer (OR = 4.54, 95% CI: 1.92–10.72), p < 0.001. Conclusions: the crucial association of vitamin D deficiency with increased vulnerability to H. pylori infection as predicted factors in the progression of peptic ulcer risk. vitamin D screening in high-risk groups may well be an effective strategy for preventing peptic ulcer