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

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Abstract

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.

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Abbreviations

H. pylori :

Helicobacter pylori

HP :

Helicobacter pylori

MS:

Metabolic syndrome

TC:

Total cholesterol

WC:

Waist circumference

WHO:

World Health Organization

BMI:

Body mass index

BP:

Blood pressure

TG:

Triglycerides

LDL-C:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

HDL-C:

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol

FG:

Fasting glucose

Anti-HP IgG:

Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G antibody

NCEP:

National Cholesterol Education Program

OR:

Odds ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

IR:

Insulin resistance

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant (No. 2011-0030001) of the National Research Foundation (NRF) for the Global Core Research Center (GCRC) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP), Republic of Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Healthcare Research Institute, Healthcare System Gangnam Center Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

    Seon Hee Lim, Joo Hyun Lim, Jeong Yoon Yim & Joo Sung Kim

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

    Nayoung Kim

  3. Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Nayoung Kim & Joo Sung Kim

  4. College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea

    Jin Won Kwon

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea

    Sung Eun Kim

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, South Korea

    Gwang Ho Baik

  7. Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea

    Ju Yup Lee & Kyung Sik Park

  8. Department of Internal Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea

    Jeong Eun Shin

  9. Department of Internal Medicine, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, South Korea

    Hyun Joo Song

  10. Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University School of Medicine, Hwasun, Chollanam-do, South Korea

    Dae-Seong Myung

  11. Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan, Chollabuk-do, South Korea

    Suck Chei Choi

  12. Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

    Hyun Jin Kim

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  1. Seon Hee Lim
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Contributions

SHL collected and analyzed the data and drafted the article. NK designed and supervised this study and edited this manuscript. JWK provided statistical support and helped to provide the table and figures. NK, SHL, SEK, GHP, JYL, KSP, JES, HJS, DSM, SCC, HJK and JHL helped to collect the data and edited the manuscript. JYY and JSK reviewed the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final draft of this manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nayoung Kim.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee, the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study.

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Lim, S.H., Kim, N., Kwon, J.W. et al. Positive Association Between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Metabolic Syndrome in a Korean Population: A Multicenter Nationwide Study. Dig Dis Sci 64, 2219–2230 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-019-05544-3

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