Helicobacter pylori infection in geriatrics

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection increases with age worldwide. However, the percentage of H. pylori-positive elderly patients who are tested and treated for their infection remains very low. We now have data that demonstrate the benefit of curing H. pylori infection in elderly patients with H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer disease and severe chronic gastritis. Furthermore, the cure of H. pylori may prevent progression of intestinal metaplasia and gastric atrophy. Studies are needed to clarify the role of eradication for elderly patients who have nonulcer dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease and who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. H. pylori infection may be easily diagnosed by histological evaluation, rapid urease test or culture performed on gastric biopsies taken during endoscopy. However, the biopsy site must be carefully selected in elderly patients. For noninvasive monitoring of H. pylori infection after treatment, the 13C-urea breath test has significantly higher accuracy than serology in the elderly. The role of the H. pylori stool antigen test in old age still needs to be clarified. One-week PPI-based triple therapy regimens including clarithromycin, amoxycillin and/or nitroimidazoles are highly effective and well tolerated in elderly patients. Low doses of both PPIs and clarithromycin (in combination with standard doses of amoxycillin or nitroimidazoles) are sufficient. Antibiotic resistance and low compliance are the main factors related to treatment failure at any age.