The association of Helicobacter pylori infection with serum lipid profiles: An evaluation based on a combination of meta-analysis and a propensity score-based observational approach

Background Several previous studies have suggested that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection affects the serum lipid profile. However, it remains controversial and the mechanism has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to use an epidemiological perspective to evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and the serum lipid profile. Methods Multivariate analysis was performed using the data of serum lipid profile, infection status of H. pylori, fitness/lifestyle habits, and various subjects’ characteristics which were derived from the 15,679 generally healthy individuals in Japan. The average treatment effects (ATEs) of H. pylori infection on the serum lipid profile were estimated using augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW). A meta-analysis was also performed using the 27 studies worldwide in which the status of H. pylori infection and at least one serum examination value (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), or triglyceride (TG)) were described. Results The ATEs determined with AIPW showed that H. pylori infection has significant positive effects on LDL-C and TC (ATE (95% confidence interval [95%CI]) = 3.4 (2.36–4.49) and 1.7 (0.58–2.88), respectively) but has significant negative effects on HDL-C and TG (ATE (95% CI) = −1.2 (−1.74 to −0.72) and −3.5 (−5.92 to −1.06), respectively). The meta-analysis to estimate the association between H. pylori infection and the serum lipid profile revealed that H. pylori infection is positively associated with LDL-C, TC, and TG (standardized mean difference [SMD] (95%CI) = 0.11 (0.09–0.12), 0.09 (0.07–0.10) and 0.06 (0.05–0.08), respectively) and negatively associated with HDL-C (SMD = −0.13 (−0.14 to −0.12)). Conclusion Both our multivariate analyses and meta-analysis showed that H. pylori infection significantly affects the serum lipid profile, which might lead to various dyslipidemia-induced severe diseases like coronary thrombosis or cerebral infarction.