Lack of association between Helicobacter pylori infection and diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in the Central Brazil region

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogen that infects approximately half of the world population and is associated with gastroduodenal diseases. Several studies have demonstrated an association with extragastric diseases and metabolic syndromes, mainly diabetes mellitus (DM). Inflammation associated with H. pylori can lead to increased insulin resistance, leading to an increased risk of DM among infected individuals. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between H. pylori infection and DM. This was done with a cross-sectional study carried out in the central region of Brazil with dyspeptic patients undergoing digestive endoscopy. Gastric biopsies were analyzed using histopathological and molecular techniques. A total of 117 patients were recruited for the research; 45 patients without a report of DM were excluded from the study. A total of 72 dyspeptic patients participated in the study (18 men and 54 women, mean age 49.1 years). Of these, 65% were infected by H. pylori and15% were diabetic. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in diabetics was higher among participants with incomplete high school at 83%, non-smokers 64% and non-drinkers 55%, though not significantly different. There was a positive relationship between coffee consumption and H. pylori infection. In the two-sample proportion test, a higher proportion of hpx+ diabetic individuals was found among coffee consumers with 45%, when compared to hpx- diabetics (27%), though with no significant difference (p=0.285). In this study, there was no significant association between H. pylori infection and DM. New trials with a larger sample size would be useful to elucidate a possible association between H. pylori infection and DM, as well as the pathological mechanisms of the bacteria that are involved in the development of DM.