| Theme |
How to Diagnose Gastric Diseases in Patients without Helicobacter pylori Infection |
| Title |
Prevalence of H. pylori Infection -- Past, Current, and Future |
| Author |
Seiji Shiota |
Department of General Medicine, Almeida Memorial Hospital |
| Author |
Kazunari Murakami |
Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medcine, Oita University |
| [ Summary ] |
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)‒negative subjects include subjects with H. pylori who are uninfected (never infected) and those with H. pylori who have undergone eradication therapy (past infection). The prevalence of the H. pylori infection in Japan is decreasing because of the improvement in sanitary conditions, which will lead to the increase in the number of H. pylori uninfected subjects. Environmental or interfamilial infections are considered to be the main infection route. In addition, H. pylori eradication therapy for H. pylori infected subjects was approved by the Japanese governmental health insurance system in 2013, which will also lead to an increase in the number of H. pylori‒negative subjects (subjects who underwent H. pylori eradication therapy). Altogether, the number of H. pylori‒negative subjects will increase in Japan in the future. |