Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Dyspeptic Patients in Iran

Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been known to be associated with several upper gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, the relationship between H. pylori infection and dyspeptic symptoms remains controversial. Furthermore, it is still not clear which factors are associated with H. pylori infection in the Iranian population. We investigated the prevalence of H. pylori infection in dyspeptic patients and factors associated with H. pylori infection in the Iranian population. In this cross-sectional study, 303 patients with dyspeptic symptoms underwent endoscopy. Clinical data and a questionnaire about gastrointestinal symptoms were collected from each patient. H. pylori status was evaluated by histological examination. Among the 303 patients, 263 (86.8%) were found to be positive for H. pylori. The prevalence of H. pylori infection decreased significantly with age. There was no difference in the prevalence of H. pylori infection between the patients with and those without a family history of gastroduodenal diseases. Among 250 patients with abdominal pain, 219 (87.6%) were infected with H. pylori. Among 211 patients with epigastric abdominal pain, 185 (87.7%) were infected with H. pylori. It was observed that belching was significantly associated with H. pylori infection (P = 0.03). Dyspepsia triggered by the consumption of tea was higher in H. pylori-positive patients than in H. pylori-negative patients (P = 0.03). The prevalence of H. pylori infection in dyspeptic patients was quite high in Iran. Belching and dyspepsia triggered by tea consumption was related with H. pylori infection.