role of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chest pain

ABSTRACT

Helicobacter pylori [H. Pylori] may be the most common infectious disease world wide. Overall, nearly 50% of the world's populations are infected, although in some developing countries the prevalence is as high as 80-90%. Atherosclerosis, with its major manifestation coronary artery disease [CAD], remains the scourge of the modern world Conventional risk factors such as smoking diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidaemia do not full explain the diversity of the disease and why interventions have not reduced its incidence and complication as much as epidemiologists have predicted. Most peptic ulcers and probably a significant number of gastric cancers are related to infection with H. Pylori. This organism has been postulated to be a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to show the role of Helicobacter Pylori infection in patients with chest pain. The present study was conducted on 40 patients presented with chest pain, who were referred to the cardiology department in Minoufiya University, they were chosen among 60 patients. Patients were compared to controls of apparently 20 healthy individuals matched for age and sex. In the present study, patients percentage in the study group I who were H.Pylori seropositive represented 77.5% and the percentage of H.Pylori seropositive among controls group II was [45%]. So, H. Pylori seropositivity was significantly higher among patients with cardio artery disease [CAD] than controls [P < 0.05]. the results suggest that the severity of CAD was more among H.pylori positive cases as the number of the affected vessels was more among H.pylori positive than H.pylori negative cases, also CK, LDHI, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride level were higher among H. pylori positive than H; pylori negative cases. The results suggest that, the severity of CAD was directly proportionate to the severity of infection with H. pylori [Infection load] as, multi vessel disease show higher mean Ig G level than single vessel disease. Atypical chest pain and epigastric pain were more among H. pylori positive than H. pylori negative cases. So, prevention and eradication of H.pylori infection may be successfully used to reduce the risk of CAD as it has been successfully used to reduce the risk of peptic ulcer disease, since eradication of the bacterium was easy and much less expensive than long-term treatment of other risk factors. Eradication of H.pylori infection may be important for prevention of primary and secondary heart attacks which affects the quality of life. With treatment that includes vaccine against H.pylori may prevent the development and instability of atherosclerosis in atherosclerotic diseases which may reduce the risk of acute coronary syndrome [ACS]