Gastric Helicobacter pylori infection associated with risk of diabetes mellitus, but not prediabetes

Backgrounds and AimThe association between Helicobacter pylori infection and diabetes was inconsistent in previous studies. Moreover, there are no studies on the relationship between H.pylori infection and prediabetes in the literature. The aim of this study is thus to assess the association of Helicobacter infection, diagnosed by pathology from gastric biopsy, with diabetes and prediabetes. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1285 subjects aged 19-85 who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and gastric biopsy during health examinations at National Cheng Kung University Hospital from 2000 to 2009. Subjects were divided into three groups, including normal glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and diabetes. Diabetes and prediabetes were assessed according to the American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria. Gastric Helicobacter infection was an independent variable. Chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the effects of Helicobacter infection on the risk of diabetes and prediabetes while controlling for age, lifestyle, pathological conditions, and laboratory variables. ResultsThere were significant differences in the prevalence of gastric Helicobacter infection among the three groups. The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, obesity, family history of diabetes, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly related to both prediabetes and diabetes. Helicobacter pylori infection was positively associated with diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-2.01), but not prediabetes (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.77-1.36), in addition to male gender, education level (9 vs >12 years), pre-hypertension, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. ConclusionsGastric H.pylori infection is associated with diabetes, but not prediabetes.