Positive Association Between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Metabolic Syndrome in a Korean Population: A Multicenter Nationwide Study

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences Vol. 64; no. 8; pp. 2219 - 2230
• Main Authors: Lim, Seon Hee, Kim, Nayoung, Kwon, Jin Won, Kim, Sung Eun, Baik, Gwang Ho, Lee, Ju Yup, Park, Kyung Sik, Shin, Jeong Eun, Song, Hyun Joo, Myung, Dae-Seong, Choi, Suck Chei, Kim, Hyun Jin, Lim, Joo Hyun, Yim, Jeong Yoon, Kim, Joo Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biochemistry; Cholesterol; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Gastroenterology; Health risk assessment; Helicobacter Infections - diagnosis; Helicobacter Infections - epidemiology; Helicobacter Infections - microbiology; Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification; Hepatology; Humans; Infections; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Oncology; Original Article; Pathogens; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Transplant Surgery; Young Adult; Republic of Korea; Lipid profile; Metabolic syndrome; Cholesterol; Helicobacter pylori
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-019-05544-3

Background and Aim Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection causes extra-gastrointestinal as well as gastric diseases. This analytical cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the association between H. pylori infection and metabolic syndrome in a Korean population. Methods Anthropometric and metabolic data, as well as anti- H. pylori IgG antibodies, were measured in 21,106 subjects who participated in a health checkup between January 2016 and June 2017. The classification of metabolic syndrome followed the revised National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. Results After excluding subjects with a history of H. pylori eradication therapy, or gastric symptoms, the seropositivity of H. pylori was 43.2% in 15,195 subjects. H. pylori -positive participants had significantly higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) than did seronegative participants ( P  < 0.05). After adjusting for confounders, high TC, low HDL-C, and high LDL-C were associated with H. pylori seropositivity. Finally, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was higher in H. pylori -seropositive subjects than in negative ones (27.2% vs. 21.0%, P  < 0.05), and H. pylori seropositivity increased the likelihood of metabolic syndrome (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.31, P  < 0.001) after adjusting for sex, age, BMI, smoking, residence, household income, and education level. However, the association between H. pylori seropositivity and metabolic syndrome disappeared in those ≥ 65 years old. Conclusions H. pylori infection plays an independent role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome in Koreans under 65 years old.