Common bacteria linked to circulatory disease

Infection by Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria associated with peptic ulcers and gastric cancer, also appears to increase the risk of diseases of the circulation, also referred to as vascular disease. Clinical studies on the association between H. pylori and vascular diseases have produced conflicting results. While some studies have shown a significant association, these results have not been confirmed in others. Researchers from San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, did a review of 17 studies that looked at the role of cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA)-positive strains of H. pylori in patients with vascular disease of the heart and brain. More than 6,000 patients were included. Overall, 13 studies found a statistically significant relationship between positive strains of CagA and heart disease. However, this relationship was not seen in CagA-negative strains. In 4 other studies, there was a significant association between brain disease and CagA-positive strains of H. pylori and, again, no association with negative strains. Infection with CagA-positive H. pylori strains is associated with a modest but significant risk of vascular heart disease. Even a modest increase in cardiovascular risk may have great clinical importance, since chronic infection by virulent strains of H. pylori may be present in 20 percent to 40 percent of the population in Western countries.

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