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PubMed2002

Characteristics of patients with chronic low back pain selected for surgery: a comparison with the general population reported from the Swedish lumbar spine study.

STUDY DESIGN: A group of surgical candidates with chronic low back pain was compared with a random sample of the general population. OBJECTIVES: To compare the sociodemographic, physical, and psychological characteristics of patients enrolled in a randomized trial of fusion surgery for chronic low back pain with those of an age- and gender-matched general population, and to assess whether the results of the current study can be generalized to other groups of subjects with chronic low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The patients with low back pain in industry, primary care, and rehabilitation clinics are well described, with evidence of increased psychological distress, social disturbance, and occupational dissatisfaction. The characteristics of surgical candidates with chronic low back pain are less well described and not compared with the general population. METHODS: Social, occupational, psychological, and physical data from self-administered questionnaires completed by 294 consecutive surgical candidates with chronic low back pain were compared with the same data from 278 subjects in an age- and gender-matched random sample of the Swedish general population. Data were analyzed with the general population sample divided in two subgroups: subjects with and those without back pain. RESULTS: The surgical candidates with chronic low back pain differed significantly from the control subjects free of back pain by demonstrating more smoking, general morbidity, and depressive symptoms as well as heavier occupation and self-assessed workload. However, they did not differ from the control subjects with back pain in these respects. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, physical disability was the only variable that independently discriminated between all three groups. The groups did not differ in terms of depressive symptoms. Differences were more obvious between the two general population groups than between the two groups with back pain. The rate of major depression was lower (9%) among the surgical candidates than in other reported groups with chronic low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical candidates in the current study resembled the average Swedish citizen with back pain. Although selected for treatment because of symptom severity, they did not otherwise differ substantially from the general population with back pain. On the contrary they unexpectedly were affected only a little by depressive symptoms, distinguishing them from patients with chronic low back pain in pain clinics and rehabilitation centers. Therefore, the results of the this outcome study are not generally applicable to every patient with chronic low back pain.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Performance of screening instruments for identifying alcohol dependence in the general population, compared with clinical populations.

Screening instruments for problem drinking have been developed in clinical populations, and little is known of their performance in the general population. Sensitivity and specificity of the CAGE and the TWEAK for ICD-10 and/or DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence are compared among those sampled from the southern region in the 1995 National Alcohol Survey (n = 776), and from emergency room (ER) (n = 1327) and primary care clinic (n = 767) samples in Jackson, MS. Sensitivity of the CAGE was higher in both the ER (85%) and primary care (82%) samples than in the general population (75%), although differences were not significant, and this held for males and females alike. Sensitivity of the TWEAK was lower in the general population sample (83%) than in the ER sample (89%), but higher than in the primary care sample (75%). In the general population, sensitivity of both screeners was better (although not significantly so) among those making an ER or primary care visit during the last year than among those not doing so, with the largest difference found for the CAGE (85% vs. 65%, respectively). In a merged sample of the three sites, the interaction of site by screening instrument was not a significant predictor of alcohol dependence for either the CAGE or TWEAK. Data suggest that screening instruments may not perform as well in the general population as in some clinical populations, with more variation apparent across groups for some screeners than for others. Although further analysis is necessary to explore this issue further, attention should be given to selection of the best instrument for use in a given population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Effect of general population mortality on the north-south mortality gradient in patients on replacement therapy in Europe.

In Europe there is considerable variation in mortality on renal replacement therapy (RRT). The causes of this variation are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that differences in mortality in the general population contribute to differences in mortality on RRT. To evaluate this relationship, we studied general population statistics obtained from Eurostat and the individual data of 67,692 patients on RRT from 15 national and regional renal registries. These 15 registries were divided into two geographical regions: North and South Europe. Cox regression was used to assess the relative risk of death (RR) for each region with adjustment for age, gender, diabetes, and additionally general population mortality. In patients on RRT the age, gender and diabetes adjusted RR of death was 0.65 (95% CI (0.64-0.66)) for South compared to North, while in the general population the age and gender standardized RR of death was 0.91. After adjustment for general population mortality in addition to age, gender, and diabetes, the RR of death for patients on RRT in the South changed from 0.65 to 0.74 (95% CI (0.72-0.75)), which indicates that general population mortality accounted for 26% of the region-related mortality difference on RRT. In conclusion, within Europe there exist considerable international differences in the mortality of patients on RRT. Twenty-six percent of the European north-south mortality difference in RRT could be attributed to differences in general population mortality. Our data support the hypothesis that general population mortality is an important factor to take into account when making RRT mortality comparisons.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Attitudes to antipsychotic drugs and their side effects: a comparison between general practitioners and the general population.

BACKGROUND: Attitudes towards antipsychotic medication play an important part in the treatment for schizophrenia and related disorders. We aimed measuring general practitioners' attitudes to antipsychotic drugs and their adverse side effects and comparing these with the attitudes of the general population. METHODS: Analysis and comparison of two representative samples, one comprising 100 General Practitioners (GPs), the other 791 individuals randomly selected from the general population. The setting was the German speaking cantons of Switzerland. RESULTS: General practitioners have significantly more positive attitudes towards anti-psychotic drugs than the general public. They reject widespread prejudices about the use of anti-psychotic medication significantly more than the general population. In particular the risk of dependency was assessed as 'low' by GP's (80%), in contrast to only 18% of the general population sample. In no instance did a majority of the GPs advise not tolerating any of the 10 possible adverse effects presented in this study. This is in marked contrast to the general population sample, where a majority recommended discontinuation for movement disorder (63%), strong tremor (59%), risk of dependency (55%) and feelings of unrest (54%). CONCLUSION: As well as effective management of side-effects being a vital aspect of patient and carer education, prescribing doctors need to be aware that their mentally ill patients are likely to be confronted with extremely negative public attitudes towards antipsychotic medication and with strong pressures to stop taking their medication in the event of side-effects.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Somatic comorbidity of epilepsy in the general population in Canada.

PURPOSE: There is a notion that people with epilepsy have substantial and often unrecognized comorbidity of chronic conditions. However, most studies focus on selected patient groups; population-based studies are scarce. We compared the prevalence of chronic somatic conditions in people with epilepsy with that in the general population using Canadian, nationwide, population-based health data. METHOD: We examined epilepsy-specific and general population health data obtained through two previously validated, independently performed, door-to-door Canadian health surveys, the National Population Health Survey (NPHS, N = 49,000) and the Community Health Survey (CHS, N = 130882), which represent 98% of the Canadian population. The prevalence of epilepsy and 19 other chronic conditions was ascertained through direct inquiry from respondents about physician-diagnosed illnesses. Weighted prevalence, prevalence ratios (PR), and 95% confidence intervals were obtained for the entire population and for males and females separately. Multivariate analyses assessed the strength of association of comorbid conditions with epilepsy as compared with the general population. RESULTS: People with epilepsy had a statistically significant higher prevalence of most chronic conditions than the general population. Conditions with particularly high prevalence in epilepsy (prevalence ratio > or = 2.0) include stomach/intestinal ulcers (PR, CHS 2.5, NPHS 2.7), stroke (PR, CHS 3.9, NPHS 4.7), urinary incontinence (PR, CHS 3.2, NPHS 4.4), bowel disorders (PR, CHS 2.0, NPHS 3.3), migraine (PR, CHS 2.0, NPHS 2.6), Alzheimer's disease (PR, NPHS 4.3), and chronic fatigue (PR, CHS 4.1). There were no gender-specific differences in prevalence of chronic conditions among people with epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: People with epilepsy in the general population, not only those actively seeking medical care, have a high prevalence of chronic somatic comorbid conditions. The findings are consistent across two independent surveys, which show that people with epilepsy in the general population have a two- to five-fold risk of somatic comorbid conditions, as compared with people without epilepsy. This patient-centered comorbidity profile reflects health aspects that are important to people with epilepsy, and indicate the need for a more integrated approach to people with epilepsy. The impact of epilepsy relative to other comorbid conditions requires further analysis, as does the contribution of comorbidity to epilepsy intractability and to differential health care needs. Similarly, it remains to be determined whether the observed comorbidity patterns are specific to epilepsy or simply reflect a pattern that is common to chronic illnesses in general.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[Distribution of HIV-1 coreceptor CX3CR1 allelic polymorphisms in general population, HIV-1 high-risk group and HIV-1 carriers of Chinese indigenous Han and Uygur people].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the V249I and T280M allelic polymorphisms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coreceptor CX3CR1 in HIV-1 infected and uninfected population of Chinese indigenous Han and Uygur people and to probe the association between I249-M280 haplotype and HIV-1 susceptibility as well as AIDS progression. METHODS: Genomic DNA of 223 Uygur subjects and 316 Han subjects were purified from PBMC. I249 and M280 allelic frequencies were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/nest polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. All data were tested by chi(2) or u statistics analysis. RESULTS: Allelic frequencies of I249 and M280 were 16.1% and 13.3% in Uygur people, and 3.3% and 2.4% in Han people. No obvious difference existed between three groups of either ethnic group. However the allelic frequencies of HIV infected population were higher than those of general population, and those of general population higher than those of HIV-1 high-risk group. There was a strong linkage between I249 and M280 (P almost zero). CONCLUSIONS: I249 mutation was the sine qua non of M280 mutation, and most I249 alleles were accompanied by M280. The frequency of I249-M280 haplotype in Uygur population (13.3%) was adjacent to Caucasian people (15.8%), and that of I249-T280 haplotype (2.8%) was obviously lower than Caucasian people (12.5%); while both of them in Han people were much lower (0.9% and 2.4%). I249-M280 haplotype could accelerate AIDS progression according to Faure et al, while might be associated with HIV-1 susceptibility.

Alleles↗

PubMed1994

Hodgkin's disease in patients with HIV infection and in the general population: comparison of clinicopathological features and survival.

BACKGROUND: Hodgkin's disease (HD) has been described in patients with HIV infection in association with unfavourable prognostic factors. Similarly, HD in the older general population has a poorer prognosis than in younger patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: With the aim of comparing the clinicopathological features and survival of HD in HIV-infected patients and in the general population, we analysed 176 patients with HD from 1986 to 1992. We divided the 84 HIV-negative patients into two groups: group A included patients less than 55 years old, group B patients of 55 years or older. This division was made in order to compare HD in HIV-infected patients with the less favourable group of patients with HD in the general population, i.e., older patients. RESULTS: Patients of the older group and HIV-infected patients had a significantly lower frequency (31% and 21%, respectively) of nodular sclerosis subtype compared to the younger group (85%). Mixed cellularity (MC) is significantly more frequent both in the older group and in HIV-infected patients. Lymphocyte predominance is more frequent (16%) in older patients than in the other two groups. HIV-infected patients are more likely to show advanced stages, B symptoms, and extranodal involvement. Chemotherapy (CT) alone has been the most widely used (83%) treatment in HIV-infected patients, while CT plus radiotherapy (RT) has been mostly employed in the general population. Twelve (14%) HIV-infected patients did not receive any treatment. Complete remission was achieved in 51% of the cases in the HIV-infected patients, and around 90% of the cases in the general population. The estimated 4-year survival rate in the HIV-infected patients is much lower (33%) than in the other two groups (100% in group A, and 88% in group B). CONCLUSION: While MC is the most common histological subtype both in HIV-infected patients and in the older general population, HD in HIV-infected patients has a worse prognosis than in the older general population, not only because of underlying HIV infection, but also because of the more unfavourable clinicopathological features at presentation.

Actuarial Analysis↗

PubMed2001

Ethnic differences in anthropometric and lifestyle measures related to coronary heart disease risk between South Asian, Italian and general-population British women living in the west of Scotland.

AIMS: To compare anthropometric measurements and to define their behavioural associations in migrant and British-born South Asians (who have increased cardiovascular risk) or Italians (who have reduced cardiovascular risk), and in the general population of British women living in the west of Scotland. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of women aged 20-42 y, selected mainly from birth registration data, which included 63 migrant South Asians, 56 British-born South Asians, 39 migrant Italians, 51 British-born Italians, and 50 subjects representative of the general population of women, all resident in the west of Scotland. MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist and hip circumferences. RESULTS: With age adjustment, migrant South Asians (0.88) had greater waist-to-hip ratio than British-born South Asians (0.84; P<0.05), while there was no difference between migrant (0.81) and British-born (0.79) Italian groups. Both migrant (P<0.001) and British-born South Asian (P<0.05) groups had higher waist-to-hip ratio and were about 3 cm shorter than Italian groups and the general population. Neither weight nor BMI were different between ethnic groups. Waist and hip circumferences were not different between migrant and British-born ethnic minority groups. Migrant South Asians (86.8 cm) had significantly (P<0.05) larger waist circumference than the general population (78.6 cm). British-born Italian women (103.0 cm) had larger hip circumference than the general population of women (96.4 cm), while other groups had similar hip circumferences. Additional adjustments for physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and parity reduced the differences in anthropometric measurements: only waist-to-hip ratio of migrant South Asians remained significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of the general population women. CONCLUSIONS: The adverse anthropometric indicators of cardiovascular risk in migrant South Asian women are substantially explained by their lifestyle factors and parity. British-born South Asian women are more similar to the general population women. Anthropometric differences between migrant or British-born Italians and the general population women are small.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

No distinctions between different types of anxiety symptoms in pre-adolescents from the general population.

Studies aimed at anxiety symptoms in children from the general population samples often make distinctions between symptoms of Separation Anxiety, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Given the high comorbidity rates between these disorders, the usefulness of such distinctions is questionable. The present study was conducted to investigate which homogenous subgroups of children aged 10-12 years can be identified, according to the presence and frequencies of different types of anxiety. A general population sample of 2210 children was assessed with the RCADS, a self-report questionnaire. Latent class analysis did not yield classes of children with symptoms of one anxiety disorder, without symptoms of another anxiety disorder. Instead, five classes of children were identified that differed in the frequency of anxiety symptoms, irrespective of the type of anxiety. Results indicate that, in a general population sample, it may not be useful to discern children with different types of anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed1997

Seasonal variation in serum eosinophilic cationic protein (S-ECP) in a general population sample.

The aim of this investigation was to study the seasonal variation in the serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein (S-ECP). The study population comprised a general population sample of 379 individuals (range: 20-45 years) who were investigated with blood sample for the measurement of S-ECP, skin prick test and methacholine challenge. The examination took place between May and October 1991. Of the 379 subjects investigated, 137 (36%) were atopic. A significant seasonal variation in S-ECP was found in the group of birch-pollen-positive subjects (P < 0.05), but not in the non-atopic or birch-negative atopic group. The mean level of S-ECP in birch-positive subjects was about twice as high in June as in birch atopic subjects examined during other months. It is concluded that seasonal variation in birch-pollen-positive subjects must be taken into account when using S-ECP clinically or in epidemiological research.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Prevalence, trends, and incidence of alcohol withdrawal symptoms: analysis of general population and clinical samples.

Analyses of the prevalence and incidence of withdrawal symptoms in the general population can provide an estimate of the frequency of alcohol dependence in the population. Similar analyses in people who are being treated for alcoholism or alcohol-related problems can identify the need for and specific types of treatment required for these populations. Three national surveys found that the prevalence of withdrawal symptoms was relatively low in the general population and has remained stable over the past 15 years. The likelihood of experiencing withdrawal symptoms increased with increasing alcohol consumption. No differences in the prevalence of withdrawal symptoms existed among ethnic groups in the general population. In a sample of patients undergoing alcoholism treatment, the prevalence of withdrawal symptoms generally was high, with lower rates among blacks than among whites and Hispanics. The prevalence of withdrawal symptoms in people undergoing treatment after being convicted of driving under the influence fell between that of the general population and that of the treatment sample.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2003

Hemochromatosis mutations in the general population: iron overload progression rate.

The progression rate of iron overload in hereditary hemochromatosis in individuals in the general population is unknown. We therefore examined in the general population iron overload progression rate in C282Y homozygotes. Using a cohort study of the Danish general population, The Copenhagen City Heart Study, we genotyped 9174 individuals. The 23 C282Y homozygotes identified were matched to 2 subjects each of 5 other HFE genotypes with respect to sex, age, and alcohol consumption. As a function of biologic age, transferrin saturation increased from 50% to 70% from 25 to 85 years of age and from 70% to 80% from 35 to 80 years of age in female and male C282Y homozygotes, respectively. Equivalently, ferritin levels increased from 100 to 500 microg/L and decreased from 800 to 400 microg/L in female and male C282Y homozygotes. As a function of 25 years follow-up irrespective of age, transferrin saturation and ferritin levels increased slightly in male and female C282Y homozygotes. None of the C282Y homozygotes developed clinically overt hemochromatosis. In conclusion, individuals in the general population with C282Y homozygosity at most demonstrate modest increases in transferrin saturation and ferritin levels, and clinically overt hemochromatosis is rare. Therefore, C282Y homozygotes identified during population screening, and not because of clinically overt hemochromatosis, at most need to be screened for manifestations of hemochromatosis every 10 to 20 years.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Prevalence and determinants of troponin T elevation in the general population.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and determinants of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) elevation in the general population are unknown, and the significance of minimally increased cTnT remains controversial. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and determinants of cTnT elevation in a large, representative sample of the general population. METHODS AND RESULTS: cTnT was measured from stored plasma samples in 3557 subjects of the Dallas Heart Study, a population-based sample. cTnT elevation (> or =0.01 microg/L) was correlated with clinical variables and cardiac MRI findings. The sample weight-adjusted prevalence of cTnT elevation in the general population was 0.7%. In univariable analyses, cTnT elevation was associated with older age, black race, male sex, coronary artery calcium by electron beam CT, a composite marker of congestive heart failure (CHF), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (P<0.001 for each). Subjects with minimally increased (0.01 to 0.029 microg/L) and increased (> or =0.03 microg/L) cTnT had a similar prevalence of these characteristics. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, LVH, CHF, DM, and CKD were independently associated with cTnT elevation. CONCLUSIONS: In the general population, cTnT elevation is rare in subjects without CHF, LVH, CKD, or DM, suggesting that the upper limit of normal for the immunoassay should be <0.01 microg/L. Even minimally increased cTnT may represent subclinical cardiac injury and have important clinical implications, a hypothesis that should be tested in longitudinal outcome studies.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Prevalence of narcolepsy symptomatology and diagnosis in the European general population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of narcolepsy in the general population of five European countries (target population 205,890,882 inhabitants). METHODS: Overall, 18,980 randomly selected subjects were interviewed (participation rate 80.4%). These subjects were representative of the general population of the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. They were interviewed by telephone using the Sleep-EVAL expert system, which provided narcolepsy diagnosis according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD). RESULTS: Excessive daytime sleepiness was reported by 15% of the sample, with a higher prevalence in the UK and Germany. Napping two times or more in the same day was reported by 1.6% of the sample, with a significantly higher rate in Germany. Cataplexy (episodes of loss of muscle function related to a strong emotion), a cardinal symptom of narcolepsy, was found in 1.6% of the sample. An ICSD narcolepsy diagnosis was found in 0.047% of the sample: The narcolepsy was severe for 0.026% of the sample and moderate in 0.021%. CONCLUSION: This is the first epidemiologic study that estimates the prevalence of narcolepsy in the general population of these five European countries. The disorder affects 47 individuals/100,000 inhabitants.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Statistical issues encountered in the comparison of health-related quality of life in diseased patients to published general population norms: problems and solutions.

The objectives of this study were (1) to illustrate the statistical problems encountered when comparing health-related quality of life (HRQL) measured by the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) in a diseased group to general population norms, and (2) to define age- and gender-standardized dichotomous indicator variables for each health concept and show that these indicator variables facilitate comparisons between the diseased sample and the general population. Our "diseased" group consisted of 136 sequentially consenting patients referred to the syncope clinic for assessment and treatment. Participants completed the SF-36 questionnaire before undergoing diagnostic testing. General population norms for the SF-36 are available from the responses of 2474 participants in the National Survey of Functional Health Status, conducted in 1990 in the United States. Comparison of the SF-36 in a diseased sample with general population norms is difficult, owing to skewed and unusual distributions in both groups. In addition, making comparisons within age and gender strata is difficult if the within strata sample size is small. We propose a dichotomous indicator variable for each health concept that classifies an individual as having impaired health if he or she scored lower than the 25th percentile for the appropriate age and gender general population strata. By definition, the prevalence of impaired health in the general population is 25% for all eight health concepts. Comparison between the eight health-concept variables is easy because the population norm is the same for each of them. These indicator variables are age and gender adjusted, so that even if the sample did not have the age and gender distribution as the general population, comparisons can still be made with the value of 25.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

Health behavior in psychiatric in-patients compared with a German general population sample.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the health relevant behavior of psychiatric patients and the general population. METHOD: Health behavior of 363 psychiatric in-patients with ICD-10 diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depressive disorders and neurotic, and somatoform disorders was compared with health behavior of a representative sample of 7200 persons from German general population. RESULTS: Increased prevalence rates for smoking and illicit drug use were found for all diagnostic groups. Risk alcohol consumption was increased in patients with schizophrenia and depression. Smokers with schizophrenia had an excess cigarette consumption compared with general population. The number of unhealthy food habits was increased in all diagnostic groups, and the body mass index was found to be increased for patients with schizophrenia. Patients with depression were more physically active than general population. CONCLUSION: Poor health behavior is widespread in patients with all major psychiatric diagnoses. Interventions to reduce risk behavior and strengthen health preventive lifestyles are necessary.

Demography↗

PubMed2005

The index of relative socio-economic disadvantage: general population views on indicators used to determine area-based disadvantage.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain general population perceptions of the importance of indicators comprising the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD). METHODS: Data for this study came from a face-to-face Health Omnibus survey of 3,001 residents in metropolitan and country South Australia, conducted in 2003. RESULTS: Overall, respondents viewed the IRSD indicators as important. Of the 14 indicators, seven were seen as important by more than two-thirds of respondents (ranging from 90% perceiving the number of families with children and a low income important to 68% perceiving the number of one-parent families with dependent children as important). Younger respondents and those of lower educational attainment were more likely to perceive the indicators as unimportant, compared with older people. For example, 14% of people aged 15-24 vs. 5% of people aged 55-64 (p < or = 0.001) viewed the indicator 'number of one-parent families and dependent children' as unimportant. CONCLUSIONS: While the general population generally recognises the IRSD indicators as important measures of area-based disadvantage, there were systematic age differences in the degree to which individual indicators were deemed important. There was a general lack of support for several indicators (such as proportion of people separated/divorced, houses with no cars). IMPLICATIONS: This research raises the question of which factors are important in representing area-based disadvantage for young people and equally the use of this index when examining variations in the health of young Australians.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Epidemiological study of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the general population in Asturias, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a worldwide infection, and it is estimated that approximately 50% of the general population is affected. However, its distribution varies considerably between developed and developing countries. AIMS: in the present study we report the results of an epidemiological investigation of the prevalence of H. pylori infection in the general population in Asturias (Northern Spain), in order to describe the current state of this infection in our region, and obtain figures for comparison with the results obtained in different communities of Spain and other countries. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: a descriptive transversal, epidemiological study, based on the serological determination of the IgG antibodies against H. pylori was carried out in the general population of a randomly selected sample of subjects without previous gastroduodenal antecedents. PARTICIPANTS: we analyzed 480 serum samples obtained from the general population of Asturias. These were divided into decades according to the age pyramid and tested for the presence of antibodies against H. pylori with a commercially available latex agglutination technique (Pyloriset). RESULTS: the global prevalence of H. pylori infection in our study was 226/480 (49.2%), and was slightly higher in women (50.6%) compared to men (47.6%). No significant differences were found between sexes (p = 0.51). In the first decade mean prevalence was 13.6%. In the second this figure was 25.4%, and it increased steadily to a maximum in the sixth decade of 76.4%. Thereafter, the prevalence decreased to 66.6% in persons over 80 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: we found a high prevalence approximately 50% of H. pylori infection in the general population of Asturias, as in other epidemiological studies in Spain and other European countries. The distribution according to age shows a clear tendency to increase, from childhood to adolescence and adult life (50-60 years), when prevalence is highest (76%). From this decade onwards it begins to decrease, showing a clear cohort effect with a pattern intermediate between that of developed and developing countries.

Adolescent↗