title: Elderly women who received Helicobacter pylori-eradicating therapy have reduced risk of low skeletal muscle mass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcopenia is associated with adverse outcomes such as physical disability, poorer quality of life, and death. Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication increases ghrelin secretion, which may be a possible treatment for sarcopenia. We investigated whether HP eradication reduces the risk of low muscle mass (LMM), which is an integral component of sarcopenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy, asymptomatic women aged ≥60 years who participated in a health screening program were enrolled. Subjects with a history of HP eradication were compared with those who were HP IgG(+), but had not received HP-eradicating therapy. Body composition was measured by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. LMM was defined as body muscle mass 2 standard deviations below the mean muscle mass of healthy women aged 20-39 years from the same program. Multivariable analysis was used to identify sarcopenia risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred seventy-two women had received HP eradication, while 689 HP IgG(+) women had not. The prevalence of LMM was significantly lower in those who received HP eradication (13.7% vs 21.6%, P=0.002). Multivariable analysis identified risk factors for LMM as age, white blood cell count, serum total protein concentration, and the metabolic syndrome. HP eradication (odds ratio: 0.632, 95% confidence interval: 0.440-0.824, P=0.013) was a significant preventive factor, and exercise (odds ratio: 0.710, 95% confidence interval: 0.504-1.002, P=0.051) had a preventive tendency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HP eradication might reduce LMM risk. This finding should be confirmed in prospective longitudinal studies to determine the long-term effects of HP eradication on sarcopenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myong Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Baeg
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bo-In
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Seok
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects*; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Helicobacter pylori; bioelectrical impedance analysis; eradication; sarcopenia