Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a spiral-shaped bacterium present in the bulb of the stomach and duodenum, and it was not discovered until the 1980s. According to statistics, China is a major H. pylori infection country, with up to 50-80% of the general population infected with H. pylori. Current research suggests that H. pylori is the main causative agent of chronic gastritis, as 90-95% of people screened in the population with chronic gastritis are positive for H. pylori, much higher than the rest of the population. Also if gastroscopy is performed on H. pylori-positive people, they all suffer from gastritis of varying degrees. In addition, H. pylori is also considered to be the main causative agent of peptic ulcers, and the eradication of H. pylori is currently one of the main treatments for peptic ulcers. As for the relationship between gastric cancer and H. pylori, which is of great concern, current research suggests that the two may be related. Epidemiological surveys in China have shown that regions with a high rate of positive H. pylori detection also have a high incidence of gastric cancer. In animal experiments, mice infected with H. pylori in their gastric mucosa and observed again after a period of time also had a higher incidence of gastric cancer than the control animals. He cautioned that gastric cancer has a long progression time, so all of the above studies have some limitations. Being positive for H. pylori does not mean that you will definitely get stomach cancer in the future. Being positive for H. pylori is only one part of the development of stomach cancer, and human and environmental factors are also crucial. Who should be screened for H. pylori? –Recommended if you have a family history of stomach cancer, not recommended for other people. Since the rate of H. pylori infection is so high in China, shouldn’t we all go for this program? As for other people, it is not very meaningful to screen for H. pylori, but to find out that it is positive increases the tension. Just a few days ago, a couple was found to be positive for H. pylori at the same time, and they were so nervous and scared that they didn’t sleep for several nights. For people with frequent upper abdominal distention and pain and a history of gastritis, the preferred test is not H. pylori, but rather gastroscopy. Preferred gastroscopy can avoid missed diagnosis of malignant diseases of the digestive tract such as gastric cancer and cardia cancer. Doctors can take the gastric mucosa for H. pylori examination under the microscope while doing the endoscopy. Is it necessary to cure the disease even if it is found positive? –No. A small percentage of people need to be cured, but most people need to be checked regularly. Do I need to be treated if I am found to be positive for H. pylori? For the majority of the population found positive for H. pylori, no treatment is needed, only regular endoscopy after middle age, or endoscopy when there is upper gastrointestinal discomfort. He added that it is presumed that at least several hundred million people in China are positive for H. pylori, and if all take antibiotics to eradicate H. pylori, the problem of antibiotic resistance caused by that would be very serious. The real need for H. pylori eradication is only a small part of the population. In addition to those with a family history of gastric cancer mentioned earlier, they include those with peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis with atrophy or erosion of the gastric mucosa, or those with atypical hyperplasia found on pathological examination, as well as those who plan to take long-term NSAIDs including aspirin (eradication of H. pylori reduces the risk of duodenal ulcers caused by these drugs). Eradication of H. pylori is also recommended in patients with gastroesophageal reflux, unexplained iron deficiency anemia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.