The continuing decline in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified Helicobacter pylori as a group 1 carcinogen. There is ample evidence that the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma is very low in the absence of H pylori infection. 1 Kawai S Wang C Lin Y Sasakabe T Okuda M Kikuchi S Lifetime incidence risk for gastric cancer in the Helicobacter pylori-infected and uninfected population in Japan: a Monte Carlo simulation study. Int J Cancer. 2022; 150: 18-27 Google Scholar Although several systematic reviews in recent years have described the changing prevalence of H pylori infection, most have shortcomings, such as being limited to adult populations, certain countries or geographical regions, time periods, or English language publications. 2 Zabala Torrres B Lucero Y Lagomarcino AJ et al. Review: prevalence and dynamics of Helicobacter pylori infection during childhood. Helicobacter. 2017; 22e12399 Google Scholar , 3 Hooi JKY Lai WY Ng WK et al. Global prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection: systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2017; 153: 420-429 Google Scholar , 4 Yuan C Adeloye D Luk TT et al. The global prevalence of and factors associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022; (published online Jan 24.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00400-4 Google Scholar In The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Changzheng Yuan and colleagues 4 Yuan C Adeloye D Luk TT et al. The global prevalence of and factors associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2022; (published online Jan 24.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00400-4 Google Scholar are the first to provide a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence of H pylori infection in children (aged ≤18 years) over a 30-year period. Their estimated prevalence of H pylori infection is the most accurate to date because of the large number of studies from both high-income countries (HICs) and low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) included in their analysis. Furthermore, the authors provide prevalence estimates stratified by the method used to diagnose H pylori infection, which is crucial in assessing prevalence in younger children. The global prevalence of and factors associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in children: a systematic review and meta-analysisH pylori infection is still highly prevalent in children and adolescents globally. Our findings can help to guide further research and the development and implementation of preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce H pylori infection in children. Full-Text PDF