BACKGROUND: There is evidence suggesting that early life experience may influence adult risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Chronic bacterial infections have been associated with CHD. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Helicobacter pylori, a childhood acquired chronic bacterial infection, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in later life. DESIGN: Case-control study controlling for potential confounding variables with an opportunistically recruited control group. SUBJECTS: 111 consecutive cases with documented CHD were recruited from a cardiology clinic and 74 controls from a general practice health screening clinic. All were white men aged 45-65. METHODS: Serum was analysed for the presence of H pylori specific IgG antibodies by ELISA (98% sensitive and 94% specific for the presence of infection). RESULTS: 59% of the cases and 39% of the controls were seropositive for H pylori (odds ratio 2.28, chi 2 7.35, p = 0.007). After adjustment by multiple logistic regression for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and current social class, the effect of H pylori was little altered (odds ratio 2.15, p = 0.03). Further adjustment for various features of the childhood environment known to be risk factors for H pylori infection only slightly weakened the association (odds ratio 1.9). H pylori seropositivity was not related to the level of risk factors in the control population. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study the association of adult coronary heart disease with H pylori seropositivity suggests that the early childhood environment may be important in determining the risk of CHD in adult life. The association needs confirmation in other better designed studies. If H pylori itself is responsible for the association, then this is of great potential importance as the infection is treatable.
BACKGROUND: There is evidence suggesting that early life experience may influence adult risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Chronic bacterial infections have been associated with CHD. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Helicobacter pylori, a childhood acquired chronic bacterial infection, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in later life. DESIGN: Case-control study controlling for potential confounding variables with an opportunistically recruited control group. SUBJECTS: 111 consecutive cases with documented CHD were recruited from a cardiology clinic and 74 controls from a general practice health screening clinic. All were white men aged 45-65. METHODS: Serum was analysed for the presence of H pylori specific IgG antibodies by ELISA (98% sensitive and 94% specific for the presence of infection). RESULTS: 59% of the cases and 39% of the controls were seropositive for H pylori (odds ratio 2.28, chi 2 7.35, p = 0.007). After adjustment by multiple logistic regression for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and current social class, the effect of H pylori was little altered (odds ratio 2.15, p = 0.03). Further adjustment for various features of the childhood environment known to be risk factors for H pylori infection only slightly weakened the association (odds ratio 1.9). H pylori seropositivity was not related to the level of risk factors in the control population. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study the association of adult coronary heart disease with H pylori seropositivity suggests that the early childhood environment may be important in determining the risk of CHD in adult life. The association needs confirmation in other better designed studies. If H pylori itself is responsible for the association, then this is of great potential importance as the infection is treatable.
Authors: P Saikku; M Leinonen; K Mattila; M R Ekman; M S Nieminen; P H Mäkelä; J K Huttunen; V Valtonen Journal: Lancet Date: 1988-10-29 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: J I Elizalde; J Gómez; J Panés; M Lozano; M Casadevall; J Ramírez; P Pizcueta; F Marco; F D Rojas; D N Granger; J M Piqué Journal: J Clin Invest Date: 1997-09-01 Impact factor: 14.808
Authors: Paul A Corcoran; John C Atherton; Steve W Kerrigan; Torkel Wadstrom; Frank E Murray; Richard M Peek; Desmond J Fitzgerald; Dermont M Cox; Michael F Byrne Journal: Can J Gastroenterol Date: 2007-06 Impact factor: 3.522
Authors: Jacek Budzyński; Marek Koziński; Maria Kłopocka; Julia Maria Kubica; Jacek Kubica Journal: Clin Res Cardiol Date: 2014-05-10 Impact factor: 5.460
Authors: A Gasbarrini; I Massari; M Serricchio; P Tondi; A De Luca; F Franceschi; V Ojetti; A Dal Lago; R Flore; A Santoliquido; G Gasbarrini; P Pola Journal: Dig Dis Sci Date: 1998-08 Impact factor: 3.199
Authors: P Patel; M A Mendall; D Carrington; D P Strachan; E Leatham; N Molineaux; J Levy; C Blakeston; C A Seymour; A J Camm Journal: BMJ Date: 1995-09-16