COMPARISON OF ALT LEVEL WITH CHOLECYSTITIS AMONG PATIENTS AT IRFAN GENERAL HOSPITAL PESHAWAR

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) remains a major global public health concern due to its strong association with gastrointestinal pathologies, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric malignancies. Understanding the local demographic variations in infection patterns is critical for optimizing screening and therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its distribution across different age and gender cohorts within the surveyed clinical population. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted utilizing a total cohort of 100 clinical samples collected during the study period. Diagnostic evaluations were performed to establish the presence or absence of H. pylori infection. Statistical and graphical analyses were subsequently applied to evaluate gender-specific rates of infection, diagnostic age distributions, and the clinical presentation of cases in relation to gender and age cohorts. Results: Out of the 100 collected samples, a remarkably high prevalence was observed, with 85 cases testing positive for H. pylori and 15 cases testing negative. Gender-wise distribution among the 85 positive individuals revealed a significant male predominance, with males accounting for 60 cases (70.7%) compared to 25 cases (29.3%) in females. Age cohort analysis demonstrated that the highest concentration of infections occurred within the young-to-middle-adult demographic, with the 20 to 40 years age group representing 80% of the total cohort (comprising 54 males and 26 females). The 41 to 60 years category accounted for the remaining 20% (16 males and 4 females). Notably, male patients presented with infections at a relatively younger age than females (youngest male diagnosed at 21 years vs. youngest female at 26 years). Furthermore, within this younger demographic profile, infected males were found to experience H. pylori infections without co-existing peptic ulcer complications more frequently than females. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of H. pylori infection within the studied population, driven predominantly by younger individuals and males. The finding that younger males exhibit a higher frequency of infection without immediate peptic ulcer complications highlights a critical clinical window for early screening, tracking, and eradication interventions before severe structural gastric damage manifests. Future research using larger sample sizes is recommended to further characterize the socio-demographic and environmental drivers behind this male-centric, youth-skewed distribution.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, Prevalence, Gender Distribution, Age Cohort, Gastric Pathology, Peptic Ulcer.