Association of peptic ulcer disease with obesity, nutritional components, and blood parameters in the Korean population

OBJECTIVES Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a common disorder, but whether an association exists between PUD and anthropometric indicators remains controversial. Furthermore, no studies on the association of PUD with anthropometric indices, blood parameters, and nutritional components have been reported. The aim of this study was to assess associations of anthropometrics, blood parameters, nutritional components, and lifestyle factors with PUD in the Korean population. METHODS Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of the South Korean population using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Logistic regression was used to examine associations of anthropometrics, blood parameters and nutritional components among patients with PUD. RESULTS Age was the factor most strongly associated with PUD in women (p = <0.0001, odds ratio (OR) = 0.770 [0.683-0.869]) and men (p = <0.0001, OR = 0.715 [0.616-0.831]). In both crude and adjusted analyses, PUD was highly associated with weight (adjusted p = 0.0008, adjusted OR = 1.251 [95%CI: 1.098-1.426]), hip circumference (adjusted p = 0.005, adjusted OR = 1.198 [1.056-1.360]), and body mass index (adjusted p = 0.0001, adjusted OR = 1.303 [1.139-1.490]) in women and hip circumference (adjusted p = 0.0199, adjusted OR = 1.217 [1.031-1.435]) in men. PUD was significantly associated with intake of fiber (adjusted p = 0.0386, adjusted OR = 1.157 [1.008-1.328], vitamin B2 (adjusted p = 0.0477, adjusted OR = 1.155 [1.001-1.333]), sodium (adjusted p = 0.0154, adjusted OR = 1.191 [1.034-1.372]), calcium (adjusted p = 0.0079, adjusted OR = 1.243 [1.059-1.459]), and ash (adjusted p = 0.0468, adjusted OR = 1.152 [1.002-1.325] in women but not in men. None of the assessed blood parameters were associated with PUD in women, and only triglyceride level was associated with PUD in men (adjusted p = 0.0169, adjusted OR = 1.227 [1.037-1.451]). DISCUSSION We found that obesity was associated with PUD in the Korean population; additionally, the association between nutritional components and PUD was greater in women than in men.