Cigarette Smoking and Duodenal Ulcer Healing

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Abstract
Cigarette smoking is suspected to aggravate the symptoms and to delay the healing of gastroduodenal peptic ulceration. The healing rate of duodenal ulcer was endoscopically studied in 82 heavy smokers and compared to that of a nonsmoking control group of 92 patients. The 2 groups received the antiulcer treatment in a double-blind fashion with 1 of the following regimens: cimeditine 1 g, trimipramine 50 mg, prostaglandin E1 analog 800 or 200 .mu.g, low-dose antacid or placebo. The smokers'' overall healing rate was 45.1% compared to 51.1% in the nonsmokers. The difference between the 2 groups was not statistically significant. This finding was not in agreement with previous reports showing an adverse effect of smoking on the healing process of duodenal ulcer.