Two in three people worldwide carry the Helicobacter pylori bacterium.

Gerry Gajadharsingh writes:

“I have posted previously about how my lovely mother asked me to develop a “managing cognitive decline protocol”. It’s an interesting story.

https://www.thehealthequation.co.uk/managing-cognitive-decline/

 One of the interesting things was that several years ago, she had some gastrointestinal symptoms which her medical consultants put down to some of the medications that she was taking for a rheumatological problem. I wondered whether anything else was going on and so I tested for H Pylori, found that she was positive and the consultant then kindly organised triple therapy for her, which eradicated the bacterium. Little did I know that several years later, this very common bacteria seems to be implicated as a risk factor for cognitive decline, especially Alzheimer’s.

 Researchers at McGill University in Montreal found those infected with symptomatic Helicobacter pylori had an 11 per cent higher risk of contracting Alzheimer’s, representing a “moderate but significant” risk.

The study, analysing the health data of more than four million people in the UK over the age of 50, found the risk peaked at 24 per cent between seven to ten years after the original infection took place. The correlation weakened again after a decade.

 My preferred test is the Urea Breath test to pick up H Pylori antigen. It can also be picked up on a stool test, looking for H Pylori antigen and on a blood test (serology) looking for antibodies (IgG), however, recent guidelines suggest that serology not being used as IgG antibodies often cannot distinguish between previous and current infection. The cost of the breath test and stool test is similar, the challenge sometimes is that if the patient is taking proton pump inhibitors (PPI)’s they must not be used for at least 2 weeks prior to either test.”

 

The Times

Sam Rucker

A stomach bug carried by two in three people may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 24 per cent, a study has found.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal found those infected with symptomatic Helicobacter pylori had an 11 per cent higher risk of contracting Alzheimer’s, representing a “moderate but significant” risk.

The study, analysing the health data of more than four million people in the UK over the age of 50, found the risk peaked at 24 per cent between seven to ten years after the original infection took place. The correlation weakened again after a decade.

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium found in contaminated water, food and soil and — while it is unlikely to cause any issues for most — around 40 per cent of Britons and two thirds of the world’s population carry it. It can easily pass from person to person through bodily fluids, with the bug latching on to the sticky mucus of a carrier’s stomach.

Around 15 per cent of those affected will suffer from symptoms including stomach pains, nausea, weight loss and, potentially, ulcers.

Experts are unable to say how the bug is exactly linked to Alzheimer’s but have speculated that the bacteria might be able to travel to the brain, inflaming cells and causing neurodegeneration.

Dr Paul Brassard, the study’s senior author, hoped the findings could prevent people in the future from contracting Alzheimer’s, which affects the lives of an estimated 900,000 people in Britain.

“Given the global ageing population, dementia numbers are expected to triple in the next 40 years,” Brassard said. “However, there remains a lack of effective treatment options for this disease.

“We hope the findings from this investigation will provide insight on the potential role of H. pylori in dementia in order to inform the development of prevention strategies, such as [individualised] eradication [programmes], to reduce infections at the population level.”

Brassard’s team estimates that eradicating the bug could prevent about 200,000 cases of Alzheimer’s each year around the world.