Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and adult height.
OBJECTIVE
A cross-sectional survey was performed to evaluate the association between H. pylori and adult height.


METHODS
H. pylori infection was assessed using a 13C-urea breath test and height measured by a research nurse using a stadiometer in participants between the ages of 40-49 years.


RESULTS
Height was measured in 2932/3682 participants that attended and were evaluable. H. pylori infected women were 1.4 cm shorter than uninfected women (95% confidence interval, CI = 0.7-2.1 cm) and this statistically significant difference persisted after adjusting for age, ethnicity, childhood and present socio-economic status (H. pylori positives 0.79 cm shorter; 95%CI: 0.05-1.52 cm). H. pylori positive men were 0.7 cm shorter than uninfected men but this did not reach statistical significance (95% CI: -0.1-1.5 cm).


CONCLUSIONS
Although H. pylori infection is associated with reduced adult height in women, this maybe due to residual confounding.
Moayyedi
Paul
P
AstraZeneca-Richard Hunt Chair of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, 1200 Main St. W., HSC 3N51D Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. moayyep@mcmaster.ca
Forman
David
D
Duffett
Sara
S
Mason
Su
S
Brown
Julia
J
Crocombe
Will
W
Feltbower
Richard
R
Axon
Anthony
A
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018401:Sample Size; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology