| [ Summary ] |
Several cohort studies in Japan have shown that the reason why rates of H. pylori infection rise with increased age is not the accumulation of the new infections in adults, but a decrease in H. pylori infections in childhood. The rate of H. pylori infection in Japan will further decrease in the near future, because this infection is carried with in families and the number of children has decreased over the last ten years. With the decrease in H. pylori infection rates, disease structures of the upper gastrointestinal tract may change dramatically. There is reliable information that the decrease in peptic ulcers and / or gastric cancer caused by H. pylori infection and increases with gastroesophageal reflux diseases such as reflux esophagitis and / or Barrett's esophagus which are not related to H. pylori infection are easily predicted. Therefore, it seems that medical care that is aimed at treating NSAID induced ulcers and disorders of the gastroesophageal junction will be required in the future. |