Eradication treatment for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium causing gastric cancer, is also effective in preventing osteoporosis, with particularly noticeable effects in women over 50.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health announced on the 18th that the results of this study, conducted by Professor Kim Na-young's team from the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital with the support of the institute, were published in the international journal Gut and Liver.

Helicobacter pylori is a common bacterium infecting more than half of the global population and is known as a major cause of gastritis, gastric ulcers, and gastric cancer. As of 2017, the prevalence rate among those aged 16 and older in Korea was 44%, and recent studies suggest that this bacterium may also cause various diseases, including dementia, through systemic inflammatory responses.

The study revealed that Helicobacter pylori negatively affects bone health.

The research team tracked 846 adults who underwent Helicobacter testing at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2003 to 2023 for up to 20 years (average 10 years). The osteoporosis incidence rate in the group that successfully eradicated the bacterium (730 people) was recorded at 24.5%. This was lower than the 34.5% in the group that did not receive eradication treatment (116 people), showing a risk reduction effect of about 29%.


The preventive effect of eradication treatment was particularly pronounced in female participants, with the highest effect observed in women over 50. In men, no statistically significant difference was observed between eradication treatment and osteoporosis prevention.

Osteoporosis is a condition where bone strength is weakened, making fractures more likely, and is common among women over 50 in Korea, with a prevalence rate of 37.3%. Fractures due to osteoporosis increase mortality rates among the elderly and raise medical costs, emerging as a social issue.

Park Hyun-young, Director of the National Institute of Health, stated, "Important evidence has been established that managing Helicobacter pylori infection contributes not only to gastrointestinal disease prevention but also to the prevention of chronic diseases like osteoporosis," adding, "Women experiencing menopause with reduced bone density should check for Helicobacter infection and consider active eradication treatment."

Helicobacter pylori, residing in the gastric and duodenal mucosa, is a unique strain capable of surviving in the highly acidic environment of the stomach. The process of its survival and colonization induces chronic inflammation in the gastric mucosa, leading to peptic ulcers, gastric MALT lymphoma, and gastric cancer.

Eradication treatment generally involves a combination of antibiotics and acid secretion inhibitors taken for 1 to 2 weeks, with a success rate of 70-80%.

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