Association between histological diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori and coronary heart disease: results of a retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Several epidemiological and clinical reports have investigated the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and ischemic heart disease (IHD). All studies utilized for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection the antibody titre that is unable to distinguish an actual from a previous H. pylori infection.


METHODS
We report a retrospective analysis on 149 subjects, who underwent an esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy, in whom the search for H. pylori was histologically performed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of IHD is not significantly different from that observed in H. pylori free patients (26% vs 21%, p = 0.527).


CONCLUSIONS
The mechanism underlying the possible role of H. pylori needs further investigation and prospective studies to further analyze the relationship between "active" H. pylori infection and ischemic heart disease were necessary.
Basili
S
S
Dipartimento di Terapia Medica, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. basili@uniromal.it
Vieri
M
M
Di Lecce
V N
VN
Maccioni
D
D
Marmifero
M
M
Paradiso
M
M
Labbadia
G
G
Spada
S
S
Cordova
C
C
Alessandri
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology