A group led by Assistant Professor Katsunori Iijima and Doctor Takeshi Kanno of Tohoku University Hospital researched the occurrence of peptic ulcer in the earthquake and tsunami affected areas with results from both before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake based on the aggregate results from seven major hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture. The results show an increase from 13% to 24% in the incidence of peptic ulcer cases from the previous year that were thought to be caused purely by stress. The cases considered for the increase were neither drug-induced nor were caused by a Helicobacter pylori infection, both the root causes of peptic ulcer. This established for the first time that psychological stress alone can induce peptic ulcer in humans. The research results will be published in online edition of the medical journal Journal of Gastroenterology. The paper's title is "Peptic ulcers after the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami: possible existence of psychosocial stress ulcers in humans".

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

(About the research)

Assistant Professor Katsunori Iijima

Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Hospital

TEL: +81-22-717-7171

E-mail: kiijima*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate Professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-7908 FAX: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)