Evaluation of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection as a potential risk factor of acute ischemic cerebrovascular stroke

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a very common gastrointestinal infection that varies clinically from asymptomatic to overt peptic ulcer disease. Although H. pylori had been linked to ischemic heart disease, still scanty of data available about H. pylori link to ischemic cerebrovascular stroke.
Object: Evaluation of H. pylori Infection as a Potential Risk Factor of Acute Ischemic Cerebrovascular stroke.
Method: In a case control study, we recruited 150 ischemic stroke patients (group A) further subdivided into two subgroups atherosclerotic ischemic stroke (group A1) and cardioembolic stroke (group A2), also asymptomatic 95 patients recruited as non-ischemic control group (group B). All subjects were investigated for chronic H. pylori infection using both serum H. pylori IgG antibody test and urea breath test. Statistical analysis was done for obtained data.
Results: Significant higher prevalence of H. pylori infection was found among atherosclerotic stroke group (group A1) 61.4% versus non atherosclerotic group (A2) 40% and control group (B) 35.8% (P value 0.003), furthermore, significant higher prevalence when comparing group A1 (atherosclerotic stroke) and control group B (P1 value 0.001), still non-significant higher prevalence when comparing group A2 (cardio embolic stroke group) and control group B (P2 value 0.618).
Conclusion: Chronic H. pylori infection is a curable potential risk factor for ischemic atherosclerotic stroke. However, further studies needed to investigate the beneficial effect of H. pylori treatment on ischemic stroke.