Article ID: NDI-2023-003
Objective: It has been nearly 30 years since Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was identified as a class I carcinogen for gastric cancer (GC). However, only a small percentage of Hp-infected patients develop cancer. Although eradication therapy is considered the most effective for preventing GC, various cases of GC have been observed after eradication. This study aimed to analyze the factors preventing GC based on health examination data.
Methods: A total of 19,278 health checkup subjects (12,916 males and 6,362 females; mean age, 51.9±11.3 years) who underwent physical examinations at our health checkup center from 2012 to 2018 were included. Patients with a history of GC were excluded. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between GC and background factors (age, sex, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, and family history of GC), lifestyle factors (dietary preferences, exercise, and sleep), and lifestyle-related disease factors (body-mass index, metabolic syndrome, abdominal circumference, visceral fat, body fat, lipids, glucose tolerance, liver function, and fatty liver). We also compared GC incidence between Hp-infected and post-Hp eradication patients.
Results: Age and salt intake were significantly associated with GC (p=0.001 and 0.003, respectively). GC incidence was 1.53% among Hp-infected patients and 0.52% among post-Hp eradication patients, approximately one-third of that in those who did not undergo eradication.
Conclusion: Aging and a high salt intake may be associated with GC, suggesting that a low-sodium diet can prevent GC, especially among the elderly. The results of this study also suggest that Hp eradication therapy is effective in preventing GC.
