| Theme | GI Tract in the Elderly | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Is Atrophic Gastritis a Direct Consequence of Aging? | |
| Publish Date | 1997/02 | |
| Author | Kiichi Satoh | Department of Gastroenterology, Jichi Medical School |
| Author | Ken Kimura | Department of Gastroenterology, Jichi Medical School |
| [ Summary ] | Before the Helicobacter pylori era it was widely accepted that atrophic gastritis extends from the antrum to the body with increasing age. It is now generally assumed that H.pylori is one of the major factors in the etiology of atrophic gastritis. Extension of atrophic gastritis is not a consequence of aging only, but rather is a multifactorial disease. Although most patients with atrophic gastritis are H.pylori-positive, there are a few H.pylori-negative cases. The extent of atrophic gastritis increases with age in H.pylori-positive as well as-negative patients. Not only H.pylori infection but also other genetic and environmental factors, as well as bile reflux, exert a long-term influence and are involved in the extensions of atrophic gastritis. | |