RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding that is related with older patients and NSAIDs use. The frequency of peptic ulcer bleeding varies of 15% to 30% of cases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the gastropathy features of patients who receive nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and its relation with Helicobacter pylori (Hp). METHODS: Men and women with GU or DU with or without haemorrhage, were included into two groups, NSAIDs users and non users. We determined the incidence rate of peptic ulcer and the frequencies of risk factors as tobacco use, previous peptic ulcer or haemorrhage, concomitant disease presence and its association with Hp infection. RESULTS: We included 434 (67.5%) patients that used NSAIDs and 209 (32.5%) non NSAIDs users control subjects. The average was 62.5 +/- 17.2 years and 49.5 +/- 19.4 years respectively. The annual incidence rate of peptic ulcer in NSAIDs users was 17.5%. Gastrointestinal bleeding was more frequent in NSAIDs users and its relations with Hp infection (23.5%) was smaller than patients without NSAIDs user (47.7%) (OR 0.39 p = 0.0000). CONCLUSIONS: The GU was highly frequent in the older people who using NSAIDs. The Hp infection shows lower incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding NSAIDs users.