title: Cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been proposed that Helicobacter pylori infection is related to cardiovascular disease, although this has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether H. pylori infection is associated with cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand six hundred and fifty people undergoing annual medical checks at Shimane Institute of Health Science between September 1998 and August 1999 were enrolled. Gender, age, body mass index, habitual smoking and drinking, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), blood glucose, leukocyte count and hemoglobin were compared between H. pylori seropositive and seronegative cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In H. pylori seropositive individuals, HDLC was significantly lower than that in seronegative individuals. After adjustment for possible confounding factors (gender, age, BMI, smoking and drinking habits), mean HDLC in H. pylori-seropositive and seronegative individuals were 56.1 and 58.2 mg/dl, respectively (p <.005). The percentage of the elderly (over 50 years old) individuals with HDLC < 35 mg/dl in H. pylori seropositive and seronegative groups were 7.4% and 4.7%, respectively (p <.001). In addition, the lower HDLC level was accompanied by an increased leukocyte count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term infection with H. pylori may have an important role in decreasing the serum HDLC concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujishiro
authors.forename: Mohammad Azharul Karim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rumi
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL