Dyspepsia in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

SummaryA series of 533 patients with definite Rheumatoid Arthritis was investigated in order to assess the incidence of dyspepsia and its relationship to drug treatment.Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis have a tendency to dyspepsia which is usually manifest in the early years of the Rheumatoid Arthritis. This tendency is not due solely to the therapy which the patients receive. When the dyspepsia commences after the Rheumatoid Arthritis the barium meal often fails to reveal any abnormality.Salicylates, phenylbutazone and corticosteroids all cause dyspepsia but they do not appear to be a factor in producing chronic peptic ulceration. When steroids are given to patients with peptic ulceration there is a greatly increased risk of severe gastrointestinal complications.