Prevalence of Acid Peptic Disorders

The global lifetime prevalence of peptic ulcer disease is 5-10% in the general population, with an annual incidence of 0.1-0.3%. 1

Current Global Burden

The epidemiological landscape of acid peptic disorders shows distinct patterns:

Peptic ulcer disease affects 5-10% of the general population over their lifetime, with complications occurring in 10-20% of these patients 1
The annual incidence ranges from 0.1% to 0.3% in the general population 1
Hemorrhage is the most common complication, with an annual incidence of 0.02-0.06% in the general population and a 30-day mortality of 8.6% 1
Perforation occurs less frequently (annual incidence 0.004-0.014%) but carries a higher 30-day mortality of 23.5%, with a perforation-to-bleeding ratio of approximately 1:6 1

The burden of acid peptic disease has evolved significantly:

In the 1970s, the United States saw approximately 500,000 new peptic ulcer cases annually, resulting in over 400,000 hospitalizations, 4 million hospital days, 140,000 operations, and 9,000 hospital deaths per year 1
The lifetime risk of peptic ulcer among those with H. pylori infection is approximately 17% (1 in 6 individuals) 1
Between 1990 and 2021, global incidence and prevalence cases increased by 11.1% and 8.8% respectively, though age-standardized rates decreased by 40.3% and 41.1% during the same period 2
Deaths and disability-adjusted life years decreased by 15.94% and 27.8% respectively between 1990 and 2021, reflecting improved management 2

Significant demographic disparities exist:

Men exhibit higher numbers and age-standardized rates of incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years compared to women across most age cohorts 2
The disease burden is highest in middle-aged populations, with 53% of affected individuals in one Pakistani study being middle-aged 3

Substantial geographical disparities persist, with prevalence varying significantly between countries based on H. pylori infection rates, socioeconomic factors, and access to healthcare 2
In a managed care population study, chronic acid-related disorders affected 2.3% of adults, with gastroesophageal reflux disease comprising 59% of cases and dyspepsia 35% 4

The burden extends beyond prevalence numbers:

Approximately 5-50% of people with peptic ulcer disease require time off work, with 82% experiencing overall work impairment 1
The condition represents significant healthcare costs, though specific figures vary by region and healthcare system 1, 4
Self-medication is highly prevalent, with one study showing 62.6% of patients with acid peptic disease practicing self-medication, primarily using proton pump inhibitors (43.1%) and antacids (23.6%) 3

Smoking remains the primary risk factor associated with peptic ulcer disease-related disability-adjusted life years and deaths in both sexes 2
H. pylori infection is present in 85-100% of duodenal ulcers and 70-90% of gastric ulcers, making it the dominant etiological factor 5
NSAID use, alcohol consumption, and stress contribute to the overall disease burden 1

Global age-standardized rates for incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years are projected to continue decreasing from 2022 to 2040 for both sexes, based on ARIMA modeling 2