Elderly women who received Helicobacter pylori-eradicating therapy have reduced risk of low skeletal muscle mass

• Published in: Clinical interventions in aging 2015-01, Vol.10, p.1771-1777
• Main Authors: Baeg, Myong Ki, Choi, Myung-Gyu, Ko, Sun-Hye, Lim, Chul-Hyun, Kim, Jin Su, Cho, Yu Kyung, Park, Jae Myung, Cho, Young-Seok, Lee, Bo-In, Lee, In-Seok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol; Bioelectrical impedance analysis; Blood; Body composition; Body mass index; Body Weights and Measures; Cardiovascular disease; Care and treatment; Causes of; Cholesterol; Comparative analysis; Cytokines; Data collection; Diabetes; Diagnosis; Eradication; Family medical history; Female; Growth hormones; Health Behavior; Health Status; Helicobacter Infections - drug therapy; Helicobacter Infections - epidemiology; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - drug effects; Hematologic Tests; Humans; Infections; Medical screening; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Musculoskeletal system; Original Research; Physiological aspects; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - epidemiology; Socioeconomic Factors; Thyroid gland; Ulcers; Womens health
• ISSN: 1178-1998; 1176-9092; 1178-1998
• DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S95007

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. 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. 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. 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.