The Prevalence of Gastric Atrophy in Western and Northern European Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gastric atrophy (GA) is a pre-neoplastic condition leading to gastric cancer (GC). Early GA detection is critical for guiding surveillance and preventing advanced GC. Histology is the current gold standard for GA diagnosis, but is considered not cost-effective for routine screening in Western populations. Serological methods offer a potentially affordable alternative. Understanding GA prevalence, symptom impact, and optimal detection strategies in low-risk Western populations is essential before integrating GA screening into GC prevention programs.

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed GA prevalence in Northern and Western European populations. Key outcomes included GA prevalence (any topographical distribution in the stomach and corpus-specific), effects of symptomatology on prevalence, and differences between serological and histological prevalence.

Twenty-two cross-sectional studies (n = 62,520) were included; 13 used histology and 9 used serology. Overall GA prevalence of any topographical distribution was 13% (95% confidence interval (CI) 7-18%). Histology-based studies reported 21% (95% CI 11-30%) versus 5% (95% CI 3-7%) by serology. Corpus-involving GA had a pooled prevalence of 6% (95% CI 4-9%), with histology detecting higher rates (10-15%) than serology (4-5%). In symptomatic populations, GA prevalence rose to 47%, compared to 6-10% in asymptomatic groups. Corpus GA reached 20% in symptomatic patients versus 6-8% in asymptomatic ones.

GA, especially corpus-involving GA, is more prevalent in Western and Northern European populations than previously thought. These findings suggest that screening for GA in these populations may be a viable route to increasing early GC detection rates and improving outcomes.