Effects of cigarette smoking on the location, healing and recurrence of gastric ulcers.

The effects of cigarette smoking on the location, healing and recurrence of gastric ulcers were investigated by endoscopy. The endoscopic Congo red test developed in this clinic revealed a close relationship between the location of gastric ulcers and the extent of the acid-secreting area, and the smoking index. In general, in patients with a high smoking index, gastric ulcers were located proximally and the acid-secreting area was small. These findings indicate that smoking is associated with the development of fundal gastritis and also with the development of high-lying ulcers. Healing of gastric ulcers was significantly faster, and their recurrence was significantly less frequent in patients who stopped smoking or reduced smoking by a half or more after treatment, than in those who did not.