Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in symptomatic veterans: A study of 7310 patients over 11 years

Background and Aims: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection has been decreasing in the USA, but recent data are lacking. This study evaluates the seroprevalence for anti-H. pylori antibodies in symptomatic veterans tested over the past 11 years. Materials and Methods: The same serum anti-H. pylori IgG detection system has been used at a tertiary care Veterans Affairs hospital since late 1996. Results of all tests performed from 1997 to 2007 were analyzed. Results: Of 7310 unique patients tested, 3982 (54.5%) were positive. Seropositivity declined from 70.8% in 1997 to 48.6% in 2002, then reached a plateau around 50%. A strong birth cohort effect was present, from a seropositivity of 72.7% for the veterans born before 1920 to 22% for those born between after 1980. Conclusions: Despite a constant birth cohort effect, H. pylori seropositivity among symptomatic veterans leveled down at ∼50% after declining steadily from 1997 to 2002.