Possible association of atrophic gastritis and arterial stiffness in healthy middle-aged Japanese.
OBJECTIVE
Helicobacter pylori (HP) has been implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular and atherosclerotic diseases. Arterial stiffness determined by pulse wave velocity (PWV) or the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has been shown to be higher in HP-positive subjects than in HP-negative subjects; however, this result has been observed only in young subjects. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible correlation between HP infection and PWV or CAVI in middle-aged subjects.


METHODS
We measured brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV), CAVI, metabolism markers, pepsinogens (PGs) and IgG antibody to HP in 343 individuals aged either 60 or 65 year old. Atrophic gastritis (AG) was diagnosed based on the values of PGs.


RESULTS
baPWV and CAVI were significantly higher in the AG-positive group than in the AG-negative group even after adjusting for possible confounding factors (baPWVc; 16.63+/-3.50 vs. 15.59+/-3.47 p=0.010, CAVIc; 8.59+/-1.20 vs. 8.27+/-1.19 p=0.022). baPWV and CAVI values tended to be higher in the HP-positive group than in the HP-negative group. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and the adiponectin level were lower in the AG-positive group than in the AG-negative group.


CONCLUSIONS
There may be an association between atrophic gastritis and atherosclerosis in middle-aged subjects.
Torisu
Takehiro
T
Division of General Internal Medicine, Kyushu Dental College, Japan. r07torisu@fa.kyu-dent.ac.jp
Takata
Yutaka
Y
Ansai
Toshihiro
T
Matsumoto
Takayuki
T
Sonoki
Kazuo
K
Soh
Inho
I
Awano
Shuji
S
Yoshida
Akihiro
A
Hamasaki
Tomoko
T
Kagiyama
Shuntaro
S
Nakamichi
Ikuo
I
Ohsumi
Tomoko
T
Toyoshima
Kuniaki
K
Nishihara
Tatsuji
T
Iida
Mitsuo
M
Takehara
Tadamichi
T
D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003187:Compliance; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology