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Studies have shown that women are less likely than men to develop duodenal ulcers (DUs). Other studies have suggested that estrogen stimulates duodenal bicarbonate secretion, which could be a biological mechanism for the lower incidence of DUs among women. To investigate this possible link, researchers in China conducted an epidemiologic study involving 64,385 patients who underwent endoscopy for dyspepsia.
The prevalence of DUs was lower in women than men: Women aged 20 to 49 were 4 to 5 times less likely to have DUs than men of the same age; in contrast, women aged 60 to 69 were only 1.3 times less likely to have DUs than men of the same age. Basal and acid-stimulated duodenal bicarbonate secretion levels were higher among women aged 20 to…