Objective To evaluate the effect and safety of ranitidine bismuth citrate on gastric ulcer in elderly patients . Methods Fifty-three elderly patients were diagnosed as gastric ulcer by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and were treated with raniti -dine bismuth citrate, at a dose of 0.35g once, twice a day, for a treatment course of 6 weeks.Close observations were made on the effects and adverse reactions of the treatment .Results Following termination of the treatment course , the patients were given upper gas-trointestinal endoscopy .Results showed that 45 cases were healed , 6 cases were either improved or alleviated , and 2 cases almost re-mained unchanged .Further examination of the last 2 cases revealed that they were carcinoma of stomach .Observation of all the 53 cases indicated that there were no serious adverse reactions in them .Conclusion Treatment with ranitidine bismuth citrate could produce good effect in the elderly patients with gastric ulcer .If regular treatment failed to respond , one should be highly aware that carcinoma of stomach might have developed .