[Gastroesophageal reflux and Helicobacter pylori].

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is not well known yet, and has some controversial issues. There is indirect epidemiological evident, not yet proven, that H. pylori may have a protective role against GERD. Hypochlorhydria caused by gastritis located mainly at corpus would be the principal physiopathological protector mechanism against GERD. Even knowing that more studies are needed, the risk of developing GERD after the H. pylori eradication seems to be increased in some groups of patients. In the presence of the microorganism, the efficacy of acid suppression therapy may decrease, and its long-term use could favour the progression to corpus atrophic gastritis. Specialized intestinal metaplasia in an endoscopically normal-appearing cardia may precede adenocarcinoma, and its prevention would vary, depending on its controversial origin, secondary to carditis, H. pylori or GERD.