Helicobacter pylori Infection in Elderly People: Correlation between Histology and Serology

A hundred elderly dyspeptic patients were studied to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and the correlation between histological and serological findings. Eighty-one per cent of the patients with gastritis and 63% with gastric ulcer were H. pylori positive. All patients who had H. pylori negative gastritis and gastric ulcers were on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). There were 24 patients who had evidence of H. pylori infection and were on NSAIDs. H. pylori positive patients had more dyspeptic symptoms in comparison with those who were H. pylori negative. In patients who were taking NSAIDs, the presence of severe active gastritis seemed to correlate with the presence of H. pylori but not with the use of NSAIDs