High amounts of salt seem to make ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria more active in some ways, according to scientists.

While the growth rate drops in people with a lot of salt in their stomachs, they form long chains and are more likely to pass on genes that make the virus more likely to cause damage.

That may explain why people with a high-salt diet are more likely to show signs of disease, researcher Hanan Gancz of the Uniformed Services University said.

H. pylori is thought to cause more than 80 percent of ulcers and is linked to gastritis and certain cancers. Researchers said that about 20 percent of people under age 40 and about 40 percent over age 60 carry the bacteria, though most do not develop symptoms.

The research paper -- not the results of a full, peer-reviewed study -- were presented at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.