Background and aim: Discussions concerning the increased incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) after Helicobacter pylori eradication continue. In this study we aimed to evaluate the presence of co-existing GORD in (1) duodenal ulcer patients after successful H. pylori eradication, (2) patients with persistent H. pylori infection after attempts at eradication, and (3) controls in whom H. pylori eradication had not been attempted.
Methods: A prospective study of 255 patients with duodenal ulcer who were assigned to H. pylori eradication or to control treatment (omeprazole for 4 weeks) and followed up for 1 year or until peptic ulcer relapse. GORD was determined in the patients who had reflux oesophagitis on endoscopy at the beginning of the study and/or in patients without reflux oesophagitis if they experienced heartburn and/or regurgitation at least twice a week associated with impairment of daily activities.
Results: The study revealed a significant decrease (from 44.6% to 21.7%; P < 0.001) of patients with GORD at the end of the follow-up among those in whom H. pylori eradication had been successful. There was no significant difference in the frequency of reflux oesophagitis before and after the follow-up regardless of H. pylori status.
Conclusions: H. pylori eradication did not significantly influence the prevalence and incidence of reflux oesophagitis in patients with duodenal ulcer during a 1 year follow-up period, but there was a significantly lower prevalence of GORD after successful H. pylori eradication, as patients with non-erosive GORD had been cured.