Cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with Helicobacter pylori infection.
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.
Takashima
Toshiharu
T
Department of Internal Medicine II, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
Adachi
Kyoichi
K
Kawamura
Akira
A
Yuki
Mika
M
Fujishiro
Hirofumi
H
Rumi
Mohammad Azharul Karim
MA
Ishihara
Shunji
S
Watanabe
Makoto
M
Kinoshita
Yoshikazu
Y
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
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL