Association between Helicobacter. <Emphasis Type="Italic">pylori</Emphasis> and coronary artery disease

The high prevalence of both Helicobacter.pylori infection and coronary atherosclerosis in our country prompted us to assess the probable association between both conditions. This cross-sectional study recruited 153 patients scheduled to undergo coronary artery angiography. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of coronary angiography results. Sixty-nine patients had coronary atherosclerosis and the 84 remaining patients were normal. Characteristics and pre-angiographic serum levels of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and Helicobacter.pylori IgG antibody were assessed in the patients and compared between the groups. Helicobacter.pylori infection occurred in 88 (57.51%) patients: 40 (58%) in the atherosclerotic group and 48 (57.1%) in the control group with no significant differences (P=0.918). Our multivariable analysis revealed that Helicobacter.pylori infection was not an independent predictive factor for coronary artery disease (P =0.915). Also, the prevalence of atherosclerosis risk factors with respect to the seropositive and seronegative Helicobacter.pylori infection was assessed in the case group, which showed no significant difference. Furthermore, the prevalence of seropositive Helicobacter.pylori infection in terms of the number of diseased coronary vessels was evaluated, this demonstrated no significant association between the number of the diseased vessels and Helicobacter.pylori infection. This study demonstrated that Helicobacter.pylori infection was not an independent predictive factor of atherosclerosis.