Five-year survival after Helicobacter pylori eradication in Alzheimer disease patients.
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative condition.


OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection (Hp-I) could improve survival in a Greek cohort of AD patients, in a 5-year follow-up.


METHODS
Forty-six patients diagnosed with probable AD were enrolled in the analysis. Study population was classified into 3 groups: patients for whom Hp eradication treatment was successful; those for whom eradication of Hp had failed, they refused, and/or were noncompliant with eradication therapy; and those who were Hp negative at baseline. Cox proportional hazards model was built with all-cause mortality as the dichotomous outcome.


RESULTS
During the 5-year follow-up [47.19±15.11 mo (range 12 to 60)], overall 21 patients died and 25 patients remained alive. Patients who died were older and exhibited lower mean MMSE score compared with the patients still alive. Successful eradication of Hp-I was associated with a significantly lower mortality risk [HR (95% CI)=0.287 (0.114-0.725), P=0.008]. The results were similar in adjusted and unadjusted models, for age and MMSE at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Hp eradication regimen in AD patients is associated with a higher 5-year survival rate.
Kountouras
Jannis
J
Department of Gastroenterology, Second Medical Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokration Hospital, Byzantio, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece. jannis@med.auth.gr
Boziki
Marina
M
Gavalas
Emmanouel
E
Zavos
Christos
C
Deretzi
Georgia
G
Chatzigeorgiou
Stavros
S
Katsinelos
Panagiotis
P
Grigoriadis
Nikolaos
N
Giartza-Taxidou
Evangelia
E
Venizelos
Ioannis
I
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome