Source | Comprehensive information from the official website of the World Health Organization, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV Finance, China Securities News and so on
In the human stomach, Helicobacter pylori (HP) is an "alternative".
Due to the strong acidic environment in the stomach and the mucus secreted by the gastric mucosa, which can form a protective mucus layer, most bacteria cannot survive. However, Helicobacter pylori has been able to survive comfortably after modifying its surroundings.
In China, helicobacter pylori infection is high. According to the data, about 1 in every 2 people in China carries Helicobacter pylori, and the infection rate is as high as 40%-60%.
At the same time as the high infection rate, the harm of this bacterium cannot be underestimated. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the 15th edition of the carcinogen report, adding 8 new carcinogenic species, of which "Helicobacter pylori chronic infection" was listed as a clear carcinogen for the first time in the report. The relevant news even triggered fluctuations in the capital market.
Screenshot of the official website of the National Toxicology Program
Why do people get Helicobacter pylori? What are the effects of infection on physical health? How can I prevent, detect and treat Helicobacter pylori infection?
It is listed as a definitive carcinogen
Helicobacter pylori is a microaerobic gram-negative bacillus that spirals and is a bacterium that can colonize the human stomach for a long time and cause chronic inflammation, which can be transmitted through mouth-to-mouth and fecal-oral transmission.
How harmful is Helicobacter pylori infection?
According to the Expert Consensus on the Prevention, Control and Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Chinese Households (2021) (hereinafter referred to as the "Consensus"), 25%-30% of people infected with Helicobacter pylori will have different degrees of gastrointestinal diseases, such as dyspepsia, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric malignancy, etc.
Yan Xuemin, attending physician of the Department of Gastroenterology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said that most people infected with Helicobacter pylori have no symptoms and complications, but almost all of them have chronic active gastritis. About 15% to 20% of infected people develop peptic ulcers, 5% to 10% develop dyspepsia, and about 1% develop gastric malignancies.
One of the main reasons people talk about "ghost" discoloration is that it is a high-risk factor for stomach cancer.
Stomach cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and ranks second among the causes of cancer death. About 160,000 people die of stomach cancer in our country every year. Professor Li Jin of the Oriental Hospital affiliated to Tongji University in Shanghai once said that in 2020, the number of new cases and deaths of stomach cancer in China accounted for 44% and 49% of the world's total, respectively, and about 80% of stomach cancer patients were in the advanced stage or even advanced stage when they were found.
The World Health Organization reports that the risk of stomach cancer in people infected with Helicobacter pylori can increase by 2 to 3 times, while in developing countries, about 63% of gastric cancer cases are associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.
As early as 1994, the World Health Organization listed Helicobacter pylori as a first-class carcinogen. So, how does it cause stomach cancer to occur?
The development of stomach cancer requires a long process, and throughout the process of progression, Helicobacter pylori is a very dangerous factor.
Han Tsunami, chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology of the Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that Helicobacter pylori is infected after reaching the gastric mucosa through the mouth, and after a period of time, it is easy to cause acute and chronic gastritis (Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis), which can develop into duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, gastric lymphoma, chronic atrophic gastritis after a period of time, and chronic atrophic gastritis is the most dangerous factor leading to stomach cancer.
However, it should be pointed out that although Helicobacter pylori is one of the culprits of stomach cancer, infection with Helicobacter pylori does not mean that you will definitely get stomach cancer, let alone that you have stomach cancer.
Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection can significantly reduce the incidence of stomach cancer. In 2019, a 22-year study conducted by Li Wenqing of Peking University Cancer Hospital and others in Linqu, Shandong Province, one of the highest gastric cancer mortality rates in the world, showed that radical treatment of Helicobacter pylori can effectively reduce the risk of gastric cancer death, with a reduction of up to 38%.
Preventable, diagnosable and treatable
"On average, there are 50 or 60 patients a day to test for Helicobacter pylori for carbon-13, and there are about 10 to more than 20 cases that are positive." Lei Yuhua, a nurse in charge of the endoscopy room of the Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital, told reporters.
As people pay more and more attention to their own health, more and more people take the initiative to go to the hospital to detect Helicobacter pylori.
According to the Consensus, China is a country with a high incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Song Jian, director of the Department of Gastroenterology of the Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, said that the infection rate in China is about 40%-60%, minors are about 40%, and adults are about 50% on average. Local areas may be higher, possibly seventy or eighty percent.
Why is the infection rate of Helicobacter pylori so high in China, and how exactly is it transmitted?
Experts said that the high infection rate of Helicobacter pylori in China may be related to the habit of eating together, "one person gets sick, the whole family is infected" is not uncommon, mainly because the family meal system makes Helicobacter pylori infected through saliva, and when eating with chopsticks to pick vegetables, it will also increase the risk of infection of diners, and young children and the elderly are more susceptible to infection.
The Consensus summarizes 4 common transmission routes of Helicobacter pylori infection.
▲Photo/This journal is compiled according to the Consensus
The Consensus also mentions that Helicobacter pylori infection often presents a family cluster, and when the parents are infected, the infection rate of their children is significantly increased, and there is also transmission between spouses and siblings. Therefore, when a person tests positive for Helicobacter pylori, the first thing that may affect their own family may be the first.
Infected people rarely recover without treatment and there is a possibility of sustained transmission.
Prevention is the first line of defense against Helicobacter pylori. The Consensus put forward four recommendations for the prevention of Helicobacter pylori infection according to the route of transmission.
First, avoid eating the same plate of food, recommend a meal sharing system, use public chopsticks, male spoons, etc., eat healthy and safe food, and avoid chewing and feeding infants and young children;
The second is to clean food containers and use safe dental equipment;
The third is to only eat hygienic and safe food and drink hygienic and safe water;
The fourth is to avoid close contact with Helicobacter pylori infection and suspicious instruments, and thoroughly disinfect medical equipment.
The use of many measures helps to prevent the spread of Helicobacter pylori among family members and reduce the risk of infection and related diseases.
Experts from the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences suggest that if you want to detect whether you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, it is recommended to do fecal Helicobacter pylori antigen testing in a regular hospital, followed by carbon-13 urea exhalation experiment. If gastroscopy is performed, rapid urease testing can be used to detect Helicobacter pylori infection and to detect gastritis, gastric ulcers, stomach cancer, etc.
Even if the infection is confirmed, the patient does not need to be overly nervous. The vast majority of people can achieve bacterial eradication with oral medication within two weeks. At present, quad therapy is more commonly used, that is, the combination of two antibiotics and bismuth and acid suppressants for about two weeks.
However, experts also suggest that not everyone needs to be tested and treated for Helicobacter pylori.
Lv Tao, deputy consultant doctor of the Department of Gastroenterology of the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, said that so far, including domestic suggestions, children under the age of 14 are fine, there is no stomach pain, eating is normal, and routine examination and treatment are not recommended. If the elderly over 70 years old do not have stomach diseases, the doctor will assess whether treatment is needed. According to each person's different situation, specific analysis and diagnosis and treatment should be done.
Having said all this, it can be summed up in one sentence: Helicobacter pylori, preventable, diagnosable, and treatable. As long as you develop good diet and hygiene habits, coupled with reasonable examination and standardized treatment, there is no need to talk about discoloration.
Toothpaste "anti-ghost" has no scientific basis
Because Helicobacter pylori is valued, the so-called "anti-yu" toothpaste and other products on major e-commerce platforms are selling hot. Some products are branded with the words "national patent" and "exclusive treatment of Helicobacter pylori", and even rub the hot spots of listed companies, and sell them on major platforms under the "name" of listed companies.
In terms of price, the price of a single stick ranges from tens of yuan to hundreds of yuan, which is 3-10 times the price of conventional toothpaste of the same specification.
▲Many e-commerce platforms have "Helicobacter pylori toothpaste" for sale. Photo/Screenshot of this issue
Does this toothpaste really have the effect of killing Helicobacter pylori as claimed? I'm afraid not.
The publicity of merchants has also attracted the attention of regulatory authorities.
"Toothpaste claims to be 'anti-Helicobacter pylori' lack scientific basis." On January 7, the State Food and Drug Administration made it clear on its official website that at present, there are some hot-selling products with the name "toothpaste" on the market, claiming to have the effects of "anti-Helicobacter pylori" and "removal of bad breath through anti-Helicobacter pylori". Many of these products are not really toothpaste.
The State Food and Drug Administration also introduced that Helicobacter pylori is mainly present in the human stomach, and there is no evidence to prove that brushing teeth by using toothpaste can have an impact on Helicobacter pylori present in the stomach. In addition, the oral cavity is a complex environment in which multiple microorganisms such as bacteria coexist. Studies have shown that helicobacter pylori that may be present in the mouth is mainly concentrated in saliva and plaque. The association of Helicobacter pylori in the oral cavity with digestive diseases such as periodontal disease, bad breath, and stomach cancer is not supported by evidence-based medical evidence. Products such as toothpastes, which claim to have "anti-Helicobacter pylori" benefits, may have added broad-spectrum bacteriostatic agents. If a large number of broad-spectrum bacteriostatic agents are used for a long time, it may lead to the disorder of the oral flora, which is not conducive to oral health.
"Concept stocks" move
The news that "Helicobacter pylori is listed as a clear carcinogen in the United States" also triggered a market reaction, and the stock prices of related concept stocks rose in response.
Following the sharp rise on January 5, on January 6, the sector rose by 7.42%, only Yueyang Xingchang closed green among related concept stock companies, and the rest all fluttered red, Ketuo Biological, Asia-Pacific Pharmaceutical, JuneYao Health. On January 7, 9 individual stocks of 20 concept stocks rose, of which Asia-Pacific Pharmaceutical and Jiaotong University onlly rose and stopped, and Wanfu Bio rose by 6.99%.
On the investor interaction platform, anti-Helicobacter pylori has also become a hot topic of questioning, and many companies have been asked whether they are involved in the Helicobacter pylori business and progress.
▲Under the heat of the market, investors have run to the interactive platform of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange to ask questions. Photo/Screenshot of this issue
In addition to drugs for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori, some listed companies have also been asked whether they have testing products for Helicobacter pylori.
Several listed companies responded.
For example, Hanyu Pharmaceutical said that its product pipeline has a drug clarithromycin extended-release tablets for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori; Bohui Innovation said that it is developing a multi-link respiratory virus detection kit, but does not include Helicobacter pylori detection; Azure Bio said that the company's anti-Heli pylori probiotics are still in the early stage of research and development, and the research and development progress has great uncertainty and there is a risk of research and development failure; Jiaoda Onlly said that the probiotic product "Onlly Super KeYou Probiotic Powder" mentioned in the market related to the concept of Helicobacter pylori is no longer produced...
For the enthusiasm of investors, Xiao Yongsheng, a pharmaceutical researcher at Ceio Ruibo Investment Management Co., Ltd., suggested that at present, for Helicobacter pylori, both in terms of detection and treatment, it is relatively mature. Therefore, this time it was included as a clear carcinogen, which has no substantial impact on the performance of relevant listed companies.
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