Frequency of H. Pylori Infection in Acid Peptic Disease Patients Presenting at Department of Medicine, Shahida Islam Teaching Hospital, Lodhran

Introduction: Infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a prevalent factor for acid peptic disease in the world especially in developing countries. This study assesses its prevalence and possible correlates among patients attending the Shahida Islam Teaching Hospital, Lodhran. Objectives: To find out the prevalence of H. pylori and how it relates to lifestyles, smoking habits, BMI and NSAID use in patients with acid peptic disease. Materials and Methods: In this study, a retrospective cross-sectional survey research design was used on 126 patients diagnosed with acid peptic disease in the duration from 24 December, 2024 to 12 March, 2025. H. pylori status was determined in the stool using antigen test and serum IgG test. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25, and the significance level adopted was p \u2264 0.05. Results: Among the patients, 62.7% were positive for Histamine Helicobacter pylori. These relationships were highly significant with smoking (p= 0.01), physical inactivity (p = 0.03), normal and low BMI (p = 0.02) and NSAID use (p = 0.04). Conclusion: H. pylori is still found frequently in the population, different strategies for screening and reducing the impact of the pathogen should be developed.