Could Helicobacter pylori Infection Increase Risk for Ischemic Stroke?

Does Helicobacter pylori infection contribute to vascular disease of the heart and brain? To answer this question, investigators compared the risk for ischemic stroke between 17,332 patients with H. pylori infection and 69,328 age- and sex-matched uninfected controls identified from Taiwan's nationwide inpatient database.

Infected patients had a higher rate of ischemic stroke compared with controls (14.8 vs. 8.45 per 1000 person-years). The adjusted hazard ratio of 1.52 in infected patients was significant and increased with the number of admissions (1.49 for one admission and 2.26 for two or more admissions); this positive trend was significant for nonembolic stroke but not embolic stroke. The investigators conclude that H. pylori infection…