Endoscopic reflux esophagitis and decline in pulmonary function in nonsmokers: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The association between reflux esophagitis and pulmonary function remains controversial. Thus, evaluating the relationship between endoscopic reflux esophagitis and changes in pulmonary function over time in a nonsmoking population is an important clinical issue. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, a medical examination database at Kameda Medical Center Makuhari was employed to identify nonsmokers who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and spirometry in 2010 and were followed up in 2015. Gastroenterologists carefully double-checked the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare the decline in the percentage of predicted vital capacity (%VC), forced vital capacity (%FVC), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1) between participants with reflux esophagitis and those without. Furthermore, using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we evaluated the factors associated with rapid decline in %VC, %FVC, and %FEV1, which is defined as a decrease of >10% in each parameter over the 5-year observation period. RESULTS: We identified 3098 eligible subjects, including 72 and 44 participants who had a Los Angeles classification grade A and B-C (severe) reflux esophagitis in 2010, respectively. The decline in %VC was significantly larger in the participants with severe reflux esophagitis than in the control subjects (standardized coefficient, -0.037; 95% confidence interval, -0.071 to -0.004). Moreover, reflux esophagitis was significantly associated with a rapid decline in %VC and %FVC but not in %FEV1 (P for trend: 0.009, 0.009, and 0.276, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Severe reflux esophagitis among nonsmokers had clinical disadvantages in terms of a decline in %VC.

Three cases of diagnostic delay of type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic delay (DD) can be lethal when patients with type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD). We report 3 cases of DD associated with TAAAD. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 is a female in her sixties presenting with severe back pain. A CT scan was taken, and TAAAD with a thrombosed false lumen was suspected by the radiology technician. He did not successfully transfer his concern to the physicians and the patient was sent home. The next day, she was transferred to another hospital with a recurrence of the symptom, and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made with a CT scan there. Case 2 was an 87-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital because of a loss of consciousness and bruises on the forehead. CT scan was taken and the displaced intimal flap in her aortic arch was overlooked by the part-time physician almost at the end of his shift. The diagnosis of TAAAD was made by the radiologist. Case 3 was the 44-year-old male who did not have health insurance and experienced severe back pain a few days before the visit to our clinic. On that day, he went to the nearby hospital's emergency room, and only pain medication was prescribed. A few days later, a CT scan was taken at our hospital to investigate the cause of pyuria and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made. CONCLUSION: DD may be common and multifactorial in our practice. Physicians need to take every step to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Diameter changes of the thoracic aorta caused by acute type B aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: The impact of type B acute aortic dissection (TBAAD) on historical pre-TBAAD diameters of the thoracic aorta is rarely reported. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of changes in aortic diameters induced by dissection, measured with a computed tomography (CT) scan obtained before and after TBAAD. METHODS: Between January 2004 and December 2014, CT angiography of 50 non-Marfan patients with nonbicuspid aortic valves diagnosed with TBAAD were compared to historical CTs on file. RESULTS: The ascending aorta and proximal arch showed negligible change. The proximal, mid, and distal aorta diameters changed compared with predissected values (107.7 ± 4.8%, 109.3 ± 4.9%, and 105.7 ± 5.8%, respectively). Neither sex, false lumen status, or mural calcification, nor prior thoracoabdominal aortic ectasia, correlated with the diameter change. Age ≥80 years in the proximal descending aorta did correlate with the diameter change (110.7 ± 4.0% vs 106.1 ± 4.6% p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although identifying predicting factors for an aortic diameter increase all along with the thoracic aorta was still challenging, the degree of diameter change by aortic dissection was 105.7% to 109.3% in descending thoracic aorta, most prominent in middle descending aorta.

Clinical impact of turn-up anastomosis in the treatment of type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: The management of anastomosis and hemostasis of the dissected aorta remains challenging. This study aims to establish an optimal surgical strategy for type A acute aortic dissection by reviewing single-center data using the turn-up anastomosis technique. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2015, 264 consecutive patients with type A acute aortic dissection who underwent emergency surgery within 14 days of symptom onset were enrolled. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 67.7 ± 13.4 years, and 129 were males. The operative time and surgical bleeding were 390.9 ± 144.5 min and 2983.8 ± 3026.5 mL, respectively. In-hospital mortality was observed in 25 patients (9.4%), and 3 (1.1%) experienced uncontrolled bleeding (from the aortic root in two patients and coagulopathy due to dabigatran in one patient). Immediate reopening for bleeding was performed in 20 patients, and bleeding from the aortic anastomosis was observed at three proximal and two distal sites. Proximal re-dissection was observed in 18 patients; in all of which, glue was used, although two re-ruptures of the aortic root were observed among those without glue use. The rates of freedom from all-cause death, aortic death, and aortic events at postoperative 5 years were 78.5 ± 2.7%, 86.8 ± 2.1%, and 74.4 ± 2.9%, respectively. When these values were stratified according to the operative extent, no significant differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Turn-up anastomosis facilitates short circulatory arrest, short operative time, and stable hemostasis, with few anastomotic complications during surgery for type A acute aortic dissection.

Performing the ABC Method Twice for Gastric Cancer Risk Stratification: A Retrospective Study Based on Data from a Large-Scale Screening Facility.

The ABC method is a classification method used for stratifying the risk of gastric cancer. However, whether the ABC method should be performed only once or multiple times throughout an individual's lifetime remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze whether performing ABC screening twice in a lifetime is useful. We retrospectively analyzed the data of individuals who participated in health checkups in 2010 and 2015. We collected data on patient characteristics, pepsinogen levels, anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody titers, and the presence of gastric cancer. Overall, 7129 participants without a history of H. pylori eradication were included in this study. The participants' average age in 2010 was 48.4 ± 8.3 years, and 58.1% were male. In addition, 11 and 20 cases of new H. pylori infection (0.15%) and spontaneous eradication (0.28%), respectively, were recorded. No significant difference was found in the incidence of gastric cancer between participants who underwent the ABC method once and those who underwent it twice (Group A: 0.16% vs. 0.16%; Group B: 0.47% vs. 0.39%; and Group C + D: 1.97% vs. 1.82%). Therefore, performing the ABC method twice, 5 years apart, does not significantly improve gastric cancer risk stratification.

Modified percutaneous coronary intervention-derived risk models (PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto integer scoring systems) applied to Japanese transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients.

OBJECTIVE: Postprocedural ischaemic and bleeding risks after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remain a major concern. Nevertheless, no reliable risk models incorporating both possibilities are currently available. We aimed to assess the accuracy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-derived models and the performance of a recalibrated model that included variables more applicable to TAVR. METHODS: This study included 26 869 patients who had been enrolled in a national registry. Ischaemic events were defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischaemic attack or peripheral embolism at 1 year. Bleeding events were defined as any bleeding based on the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 consensus document at 1 year. Patterns of Non-adherence to Anti-Platelet Regimen in Stented Patients (PARIS) and Coronary Revascularisation Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) integer scoring systems were tested. The models were recalibrated by applying new variables using the Fine and Gray method. RESULTS: The 1-year cumulative incidences for ischaemic and bleeding events were 2.7% and 3.1%. Patients with high PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto risk scores had higher incidences of both ischaemic (3.3% vs 2.4% vs 2.4%, p<0.001 and 2.8% vs 2.0% vs 0.8%, p<0.001) and bleeding events (3.3% vs 2.5% vs 0.8%, p<0.001 and 3.7% vs 3.0% vs 2.4%, p<0.001) when compared with intermediate and low-risk patients. The receiver operating characteristic area under the curves for these models were 0.53, 0.58, 0.56 and 0.55, respectively. After the models were recalibrated to incorporate variables more applicable to TAVR, the performance of ischaemic and bleeding models modestly improved (0.58 and 0.61, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The PCI-derived models demonstrated modest accuracy but was inadequate for risk stratification of TAVR patients at 1-year follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 3395.

Gender-specific factors contributing to visceral obesity including the sleep-obesity relationship: a large-scale cross-sectional study from East Asia.

Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between visceral obesity and its associated factors, especially sleep duration in East Asia. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses using the data of 2538 participants (mean age 56.4 ± 10.8 years) who underwent medical checkups and computed tomography of the abdomen to calculate the visceral fat area from 2008 to 2020. We additionally performed logistic regression analyses using each sleep-duration group (< 5, 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, and ≥ 8 h) and their respective propensity scores as covariates. According to the criteria of visceral obesity(a visceral fat area ≥ 100 cm2), 1147 of 1918 men (59.8%) and 131 of 620 women (21.1%) had visceral obesity. In multivariate analyses, visceral obesity was significantly associated with age, body mass index and triglyceride in both genders, high-density lipoproteins, uric acid levels, and daily alcohol consumption in men; and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in women. In both multivariate and propensity score matching analyses, sleep duration of > 8 h and visceral obestiy showed a positive association in men but a negative association in women with statistical significance. In conclusion, our large-scale cross-sectional study in East Asia identified various gender-specific factors associated with visceral obesity including the long sleep duration.

Fibrosis-4 index efficiently predicts chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis development based on a large-scale data of general population in Japan.

A non-invasive method to evaluate the fibrosis stage and the risk stratification of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is required. A total of 416,066 generally healthy subjects who underwent health check-ups between 1990 and 2019 were investigated. Fatty liver prevalence greatly increased from the 1990s (21.9%) to the 2000s (37.1%) but showed no considerable change between 2001-2010 (39.2%) and 2011-2019 (35.5%). During the 30 years, the rate of high FIB-4 index (≥2.67) and mean body mass index (BMI) did not markedly change. Fatty liver was significantly associated with BMI, but not with alcohol intake or FIB-4 index. Cox regression analyses for development of chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis identified that the risk of developing chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis was higher in subjects without fatty liver than in those with it (hazard ratio [HR]=0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03-0.22, p <0.001 and HR=0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.26, p =0.001, respectively), and much larger in subjects with a high FIB-4 index (≥ 2.67) than in those without it (HR=78.6; 95% CI, 29.0-213.1, p <0.001 and HR=5950.7; 95% CI,761.7-46,491.4, p <0.001, respectively). Adjusted survival curves for Cox proportional hazards regression further reinforced these results. In conclusion, the FIB-4 index is a useful indicator of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis development in the general population.

Analysis of Barrett's Esophagus and Its Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study of 10,122 Subjects at a Japanese Health Examination Center.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori eradication is expected to significantly change the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE). However, few reports on this relationship exist. We analyzed the risk factors of BE using the current consensus on length of BE considering H. pylori infection status. METHODS: We analyzed 10,122 individuals (5,962 men; mean age = 52.9 ± 9.9 years) who had undergone esophagogastroduodenoscopy as part of a medical checkup. Correlations among factors including H. pylori infectious status, endoscopic findings, and BE ≥1 cm were analyzed. RESULTS: Prevalence of BE, long-segment BE, and esophageal adenocarcinoma was 22.5%, 0.014%, and 0%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for BE were hiatal hernia (odds ratio [OR]: 2.89 [2.59-3.24]), female sex (OR: 0.52 [0.46-0.59]), social drinking (OR:0.77 [0.68-0.87]), H. pylori eradication therapy (OR: 1.34 [1.19-1.51]), proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use (OR: 1.52 [1.18-1.96]), bile reflux (OR: 1.18 [1.04-1.33]), age ≥50 years (OR: 1.13 [1.02-1.26]), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use (OR: 1.29 [1.02-1.62]). Although reflux esophagitis (RE) was more common in H. pylori-negative patients (17.2%) than in those after H. pylori eradication therapy (11.8%, p < 0.00001), the latter was correlated with BE, disputing RE as a strong risk factor for BE. Therefore, we conducted a subgroup analysis; most of the risk factors except for PPI use (p = 0.75), H2-receptor antagonist use (p = 0.078), and atrophic gastritis absence (p = 0.72) were positively correlated with BE after H. pylori eradication therapy compared with H. pylori-negative status. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication, bile reflux, PPI use, and NSAID use were risk factors for BE along with hiatal hernia, male sex, and older age.

Trends in proton pump inhibitor use, reflux esophagitis, and various upper gastrointestinal symptoms from 2010 to 2019 in Japan.

The increasing usage of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been reported worldwide, but information on PPI use in East Asia is inadequate. This study aimed to examine the trends in PPI use in Japan, along with the changes in histamine H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) use, disease rate of reflux esophagitis, and the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms. We analyzed 217,712 healthy subjects (127,607 men and 90,105 women; 51.4 ± 9.7 years old) participating in the health check program from 2010 to 2019. Various upper gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated using the frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG) questionnaire. Reflux esophagitis was diagnosed by esophageal erosion using the Los Angeles classification grades A, B, C, and D. From 2010 to 2019, the percentage of PPI users increased markedly from approximately 1.8% to 5.3%, whereas that of H2RA users decreased gradually from approximately 2.5% to 1.9%. The use of all classical types of PPIs (omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, and esomerazole) and a new type of PPI, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (vonoprazan), greatly increased during the 10 years. An upward trend in the prevalence of reflux esophagitis was observed from 2010 to 2015, but not from 2016 to 2019, indicating that the monotonic rising prevalence of reflux disease stopped in the middle of the 2010s in Japan. In contrast, various upper gastrointestinal symptoms significantly improved between 2010 and 2019. All 12 FSSG symptoms of PPI users were significantly worse than those of non-PPI users, suggesting that PPIs still cannot completely control upper gastrointestinal symptoms. In conclusion, this study revealed a significant increase in PPI use and a slight decrease in H2RA use from 2010 to 2019. Despite a plateau in the prevalence of reflux esophagitis and considerable improvement in various upper gastrointestinal symptoms, PPI use has continued to increase in Japan.

Risk factors for gastric cancer in Japan in the 2010s: a large, long-term observational study.

BACKGROUND: The numbers of Helicobacter pylori (HP)-infected individuals and deaths due to gastric cancer are decreasing in Japan. We aimed to determine whether the serological test for chronic gastritis (the ABC method) is still useful for gastric cancer risk stratification in the 2010s and to analyze risk factors for developing gastric cancer in Japan. METHODS: In this prospective study, we monitored 20773 individuals for the incidence of gastric cancer from 2010 to 2019. The relationships between blood sampling results, physical examination, and lifestyle in 2010 and the cumulative incidence of gastric cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 19343 participants who met the study criteria were analyzed. Overall, 0.08% of participants in group A (9/11717), 0.63% in group B (28/4452), 2.05% in group C (43/2098), 1.52% in group D (1/66), and 0.30% in group E (3/1010) developed gastric cancer. Cox hazard analysis showed that age ≥ 50 years; groups B, C, and D according to the ABC method; and current smoking habits were independent risk factors for gastric cancer. The hazard ratios (HRs) of the incidence of gastric cancer were 6.7 in group B and 21.7 in groups C and D, while the HRs of group E was 2.8, which was not significantly different from that of group A. The incidence of gastric cancer was not statistically significantly different between those with and without successful HP eradication in groups B, C, and D during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The ABC method was still useful for gastric cancer risk stratification in the 2010s.

Incidence and risk factors of acute cholecystitis after cardiovascular surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Acute cholecystitis is a complication in critically ill patients. However, a few studies have described its incidence, risk factors, and mortality in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. We investigated the incidence, perioperative predictors, and clinical features of acute cholecystitis after cardiovascular surgery. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined 7013 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery between October 2000 and March 2019 at a tertiary care hospital. We collected preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data from our database and electronic medical records. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative cholecystitis until hospital discharge. A multivariable logistic regression analysis to estimate perioperative predictors of acute cholecystitis was conducted. We described the clinical characteristics of patients complicated with acute cholecystitis. RESULTS: Among the 7013 patients, 51 (0.7%) developed acute cholecystitis. Logistic regression analysis found that circulatory arrest (odds ratio [OR] 1.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-3.74; P = 0.037) and intraoperative massive transfusion (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.03-4.01; P = 0.041) were associated with the incidences of cholecystitis. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the cholecystitis group than in the non-cholecystitis group (13.7% vs 3.9%, P = 0.004). Aortic disease was more frequent in the cholecystitis group (54.9% vs 38.6%, P = 0.021). The median time of acute cholecystitis onset from surgery was 12.5 days (interquartile range 7.0-27.75). Twenty-six patients (51.0%) developed asymptomatic cholecystitis. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1% of patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery developed postoperative cholecystitis; half of them were asymptomatic. Since cholecystitis is associated with high mortality, it is a complication after cardiovascular surgery that needs to be considered.

Multiple percutaneous coronary interventions may negatively impact cardiac remodelling after bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Many patients undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) multiple times before being referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), in which bypass grafts are often anastomosed to small distal targets with higher risk of graft failure. We aimed to assess whether multiple PCIs adversely affect the long-term outcomes of patients who undergo CABG subsequently. METHODS: A cohort of 368 patients with no history of PCI underwent initial isolated CABG between 2003 and 2013 (no PCI group). Ninety-seven patients who had undergone PCI 2 or more times preoperatively during the same period constituted the multiple PCI group. After propensity score matching, the group outcomes were compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the 10-year all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event rates in both groups. Although the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension in the multiple PCI group did not change markedly (from 48.0 ± 6.0 to 47.2 ± 7.9 mm; P = 0.25), it decreased significantly in the no PCI group (from 48.3 ± 6.1 to 44.9 ± 9.1 mm; P < 0.001). The left ventricular end-systolic dimension in the no PCI group decreased significantly (from 34.1 ± 8.7 to 31.4 ± 8.6 mm; P = 0.024), while it in the multiple PCI group did not (from 33.6 ± 8.3 to 32.7 ± 8.6 mm; P = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: For complex coronary artery disease, early surgical intervention could be considered with respect to postoperative left ventricular remodelling during the long-term follow-up.

Clinicopathological features and prognosis of developed gastric cancer based on the diagnosis of mucosal atrophy and enlarged folds of stomach by double-contrast upper gastrointestinal barium X-ray radiography.

BACKGROUND: Mucosal atrophy and enlarged folds of stomach by double-contrast upper gastrointestinal barium X-ray radiography (UGI-XR) are two major features of Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic gastritis. These were previously shown to be risk indicators of gastric cancer, but their predictability for clinicopathological characters of developed gastric cancer is unelucidated. In addition, evidence for decreasing the mortality of gastric cancer by appropriate follow-up of UGI screening is needed. METHODS: The 5134 generally healthy UGI-XR examinees, who underwent follow-up UGI-XR or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGI-ES) more than once, were prospectively observed for 10 years. RESULTS: At the beginning of follow-up, 1515 (29.5%) had mucosal atrophy and 990 (19.5%) had enlarged folds. For the serum anti-H. pylori IgG, 1301 (25.3%) were positive, 177 (3.4%) were possibly positive, and 3656 (71.2%) were negative. During the 10-year observation period, gastric cancer developed in 15 subjects, among which 13 had mucosal atrophy and 10 had enlarged folds. These two features were expectedly useful indicators for gastric cancer incidence, but they showed no significant association with tumor stage or histological type of developed cancer. Only one of the 5134 subjects died of gastric cancer during 10 years, which was significantly lower than the predicted number of gastric cancer death (6.78 for 10 years) according to the mortality rate in Japan. CONCLUSIONS: Neither mucosal atrophy nor enlarged folds of stomach showed a significant association with clinicopathological features of developed gastric tumors. Appropriate follow-up of cancer screening by UGI-XR or UGI-ES can reduce the risk of gastric cancer-related death.

How far is the left circumflex coronary artery from the mitral annulus?

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between the distance from the mitral annulus to the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) and iatrogenic LCX injury has been questioned. This study was designed to determine the high-risk sites of LCX injury with an anatomical approach using multiple detector-computed tomography (MDCT) scanning taken before mitral valve annuloplasty (MVA). The purpose of this study is to prevent LCX injury in patients unable to receive MDCT before mitral valve surgery. METHODS: In 2018, we performed MVA on 59 patients, 52 of whom had undergone preoperative MDCT scanning. We retrospectively analyzed the MDCT images of these 52 patients and measured the shortest distance from the mitral annulus to the LCX in three dimensions. Also, we divided the mitral annulus into 12 clockwise areas (A0-A11) to identify the exact location. RESULTS: The site of closest proximity and their numbers of patients were as follows: A6, 1 patient; A8, 2 patients; A9, 32 patients; and A10, 17 patients. Nine (17.3%) of the 52 patients had the shortest distance of less than 2 mm. The shortest distance according to the dominance of coronary artery showed no significant difference (p = 0.81). CONCLUSION: The site of closest proximity from the mitral annulus to the LCX was concentrated on the A8 to A10 areas and it is an interesting result that as many as 17% of patients have their coronary arteries less than 2 mm away from the annulus.

The association of Helicobacter pylori infection with serum lipid profiles: An evaluation based on a combination of meta-analysis and a propensity score-based observational approach.

BACKGROUND: Several previous studies have suggested that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection affects the serum lipid profile. However, it remains controversial and the mechanism has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to use an epidemiological perspective to evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and the serum lipid profile. METHODS: Multivariate analysis was performed using the data of serum lipid profile, infection status of H. pylori, fitness/lifestyle habits, and various subjects' characteristics which were derived from the 15,679 generally healthy individuals in Japan. The average treatment effects (ATEs) of H. pylori infection on the serum lipid profile were estimated using augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW). A meta-analysis was also performed using the 27 studies worldwide in which the status of H. pylori infection and at least one serum examination value (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), or triglyceride (TG)) were described. RESULTS: The ATEs determined with AIPW showed that H. pylori infection has significant positive effects on LDL-C and TC (ATE (95% confidence interval [95%CI]) = 3.4 (2.36-4.49) and 1.7 (0.58-2.88), respectively) but has significant negative effects on HDL-C and TG (ATE (95%CI) = -1.2 (-1.74 to -0.72) and -3.5 (-5.92 to -1.06), respectively). The meta-analysis to estimate the association between H. pylori infection and the serum lipid profile revealed that H. pylori infection is positively associated with LDL-C, TC, and TG (standardized mean difference [SMD] (95%CI) = 0.11 (0.09-0.12), 0.09 (0.07-0.10) and 0.06 (0.05-0.08), respectively) and negatively associated with HDL-C (SMD = -0.13 (-0.14 to -0.12)). CONCLUSION: Both our multivariate analyses and meta-analysis showed that H. pylori infection significantly affects the serum lipid profile, which might lead to various dyslipidemia-induced severe diseases like coronary thrombosis or cerebral infarction.

Inverse time trends of peptic ulcer and reflux esophagitis show significant association with reduced prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

INTRODUCTION: Recent prevalence and trends of gastric/duodenal ulcer (GU/DU) and reflux esophagitis (RE) are inadequate. METHODS: We reviewed the records of consecutive 211,347 general population subjects from 1991 to 2015. RESULTS: During the 25 years, the prevalence of GU and DU has gradually decreased (from 3.0% to 0.3% and from 2.0% to 0.3%) whereas that of RE has markedly increased (from 2.0% to 22%). The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection has decreased from 49.8% (in 1996) to 31.2% (in 2010). Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated that HP infection was positively associated with GU/DU and negatively associated with RE with statistical significance. The panel data analyses showed that reduced rate of HP infection is proportionally correlated with decrease of GU/DU and inversely correlated with increase of RE. It is further suggested other latent factors should be important for changed prevalence of these three acid-related diseases. Age-period-cohort analysis indicated the significant association of older age, male gender, and absence of HP infection with RE. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of GU and DU has gradually decreased whereas that of RE has markedly increased in Japan. Inverse time trends of peptic ulcer and reflux esophagitis are significantly associated with reduced prevalence of HP infection. KEY MESSAGES The prevalence of gastric and duodenal ulcer has gradually decreased whereas that of reflux esophagitis has markedly increased in Japan. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan has greatly decreased from 49.8% to 31.2% during the 14 years (from 1996 to 2010). Inverse time trends of peptic ulcer and reflux esophagitis are associated with reduced prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection with statistical significance.