Long-term Effects of the Eradication of Helicobacter pylori on Metabolic Parameters, Depending on Sex, in South Korea

• Published in: Gut and liver 2023-01, Vol.17 (1), p.58
• Main Authors: Jaehyung Park, Nayoung Kim, Won Seok Kim, Seon Hee Lim, Yonghoon Choi, Hyeong Ho Jo, Eunjeong Ji, Hyuk Yoon, Cheol Min Shin, Young Soo Park, Dong Ho Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: Korean
• Subjects: Eradication; Helicobacter pylori; Metabolic syndrome; Sex
• ISSN: 1976-2283

Background/Aims: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is positively associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the long-term effects of eradication therapy on MS and sex differences have not been thoroughly studied. We aimed to investigate the long-term effects of HP eradication on MS and sex differences. Methods: This study included 2,267 subjects who visited a tertiary referral center between May 2003 and May 2019. HP was diagnosed by histology, a Campylobacter-like organism test, and culture, and the subjects were prospectively followed up. The participants were categorized into three groups: HP uninfected, HP infected but non-eradicated, and HP eradicated. The baseline characteristics and changes in metabolic parameters after HP eradication were compared over a 5-year follow-up period. Results: Among 1,521 subjects, there was no difference in baseline metabolic parameters between the HP-uninfected (n=509) and HP-infected (n=1,012) groups, regardless of sex. Analysis of the metabolic parameters during follow-up among HP-uninfected (n=509), HP-non-eradicated (n=346), and HP-eradicated (n=666) groups showed that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the body mass index (BMI) increased after eradication, with a significant difference at 1-year of follow-up. In females, HDL increased after eradication (p=0.023), and the BMI increased after eradication in male subjects (p=0.010). After propensity score matching, the HDL change in female remained significant, but the statistical significance of the change in BMI in the male group became marginally significant (p=0.089). Conclusions: HP eradication affected metabolic parameters differently depending on sex. HDL significantly increased only in females over time, especially at 1-year of follow-up. In contrast, BMI showed an increasing tendency over time in males, especially at the 1-year follow-up. (Gut Liver 2023;17:58-68)