Gastrointestinal symptoms and the risk of Helicobacter pylori infection in the United States
What is it about?
Analysis of the data of more than 62 million patients from the United States, who presented gastrointestinal and diagnostic symptoms such as inflammatory bowel diseases, liver diseases, and celiac diseases demonstrated that Native Americans and Hispanics had the highest prevalences of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. However, the black and Asian Pacific Islander populations had a more than seven times higher risk of HP infection when they presented with gastritis, dyspepsia, peptic-, gastric-, duodenal-ulcer, and neoplasm. The black population also had the highest risk of HP infection associated with GI cancer.
Why is it important?
It is of paramount importance that physicians recognize and more deeply investigate how race and ethnicity predispose patients to Helicobacter pylori infection.