A new study published online in the American Journal Gastroenterology and reported by Medwire News evaluates the correlation between H. pylori infection and reflux esophagitis, including how H. pylori eradication effects reflux esophagitis. The researchers found that there appears a strong negative association between the two.
Based on a study of over 10,000 subjects, with 4,007 participating in a follow-up after a median of two years, the researchers found that 3.3 % of the patients with active H. pylori infection had reflux esophagitis. In subjects without h. pylori infection, the prevalence of reflux esophagitis was 6.4 %. Eradicating H. pylori infection increased the prevalence of esophagitis to the same level of those patients without H. pylori.
The team of researchers claims that its findings imply a strong negative association between reflux esophagitis and an existing H. pylori infection. In addition, they found that the protective consequence of H. pylori infection on reflux esophagitis disappeared after the successful eradication of the bacteria. More information on the relationship between GERD and H. pylori can be found on BreathID's Learn Much More section.