Effects of Smoking Cessation on Medical Costs for Gastric and Duodenal Ulcer or Inflammation according to Seropositivity for Helicobacter pylori

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of smoking cassation on outpatient costs for gastric and duodenal ulcer or inflammation according to seropositivity for Helicobacter pylori. Subjects were 2, 313 male office workers, who were classified into 6 groups according to positivity of Helicobacter pylori antibody (HPAB) and smoking habits.We compared number of doctor's visits and medical costs among the 6 groups using the health-insurance database from 2004, April to 2007, March.Ex-smokers with HPAB positive had less medical costs than smokers with HPAB positive, but the former was almost same in doctor's visits as the latter. Ex-smokers with HPAB negative had more doctor's visits and medical costs than smokers with HPAB negative. Ex-smokers with HPAB positive and negative had extraordinary more doctor's visits and medical costs than non-smokers with HPAB positive and negative respectively.This result suggested that ex-smokers have a long time to decrease to the level of medical costs of non-smokers after smoking cessation.