Hanoi (VNA)  - Theover-prescription of antibiotics caused a common gastrointestinal bacteria todevelop antibiotic resistance, experts said at a recent conference on digestionheld by Bach Mai Hospital and the Japanese Nagoya University in Hanoi.

Arecent study in Hanoi showed that about 70 percent of Vietnamese are infectedwith H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori), a type ofbacteria that can increase the risk of cancer, especially gastric cancer. Thebacteria were also found in 90 percent of patients with gastritis in Ho Chi MinhCity, according to research.

Atthe conference, experts said it is essential to eliminate the bacteria inpatients with stomach and duodenum ulcers to reduce the risks of medicalcomplications, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation and gastriccancer.

Theyalso noted that it is a relatively common type of bacteria that can be found in50 percent of the world’s total population, and only 1 to 3 percent of thoseinfected will have cancer, depending on their genes and the bacteria’s toxins.

Althoughinfection with H. pylori is not life-threatening, treating itin Vietnam has become more difficult due to patients’ overuse of antibioticsand non-compliance with prescribed antibiotic instructions, said Dr Vu TruongKhanh, head of the Department of Digestion at Bach Mai Hospital.

“Theirimproper use of antibiotics has led to high rates of antibiotic resistance,” hesaid. “Some types of antibiotics that worked on 90 percent of H. pylori patients in somecountries are only effective to 50 to 60 percent  of those patients in Vietnam.”

Stressand imbalanced diets create changes in the human body that facilitate theactivities of these bacteria, leading to the secretion of substances that cancause gastric mucosal congestion, he said.

H.pylori infected patients should avoid eatingsour, spicy foods and raw vegetables—these can create favourable livingenvironments for the bacteria—use turmeric products for their anticancereffects and only drink purified water, he said.

Anaverage of 3,000 cirrhosis patients receive inpatient treatment at the Bach MaiHospital due to excessive consumption of alcohol each year, which is analarming change from a decade ago when cirrhosis was mostly caused by viralinfections, Khanh said.

Livercancer is the second-most common type of cancer in both genders in Vietnam,after lung cancer, according to official statistics, and the death rate is 23.7percent.

Liverfailure is another pressing issue, caused by excessive alcohol consumption,smoking, and continuous use of medications such as paracetamol (used to treat pain and fever), halothane (a general anesthetic), and nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory drugs, according to statistics. An average of 50 to 90 percentof patients with acute liver failure die if not treated properly and not receivingliver transplants.

Eatingvegetables, fresh fruits and herbs to provide vitamins and antioxidants for thebody is one way to protect the liver, doctors said.

Excessivealcohol consumption, smoking and processed foods should be avoided, while dailyphysical exercises and periodical medical examination are encouraged, theysaid.-VNA