title: Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori among multiracial community in Northern Peninsular, Malaysia: effect of age across race and gender.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection according to age group.
  
  
  METHODS
  H. pylori infection data among 1 965 consecutive patients referred to the Endoscopy Unit collected at Sungai Petani Hospital for oesophagogastro-duodenoscopy (OGD). The patients were divided into 9 age groups (10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89 and 90-99 years). In addition these groups were further divided into three minor group namely young adults (10-39), older adults (40-69) and geriatric groups (70-99).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall prevalence of infection of H. pylori was analyzed and found that the prevalence increase with age (P<0.05). When the patients divided by ethnic and gender group with age, prevalence rate among young adults and older adults significantly higher (P<0.05) compared to geriatric groups across all races and gender (P<0.05). Furthermore, significantly higher number of males were infected compared to female (P<0.05) but such trend was only observed among older adult groups. In addition, there is a significant differences in H. pylori infection prevalence rates among ethnic groups (highest in Indians adults, followed Chinese and low in Malays, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall prevalence of H. pylori did increase with age group across ethnicity and gender, in Northern Peninsular Malaysia.
authors.affiliation: Institutes for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. srisasidharan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sreenivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasidharan
authors.forename: Subramanion Jo Thy
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lachumy
authors.forename: Manickam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravichandran
authors.forename: Lachimanan Yoga
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Latha
authors.forename: Surasa Rao Surya
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Gegu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult