Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and overweight/obesity among adult health checkup population in China

Objective To explore the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and overweight/obesity in a Chinese population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that included all adult participants who underwent a 13C-urea breath test at the physical examination center in Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China) in 2016. Data on demographic characteristics, anthropometric index, biochemical variables, and medical history were collected. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity, as well as body mass index (BMI). Results Of the 27 883 participants included, 17 585 were males and 10 298 were females. They were aged (43.94±11.31) years. The prevalence rate of H. pylori infection was 33.1%. The BMIs of subjects with and without H. pylori infection were (24.30±3.28) kg/m2 and (23.99±3.35) kg/m2, respectively (t=-7.28, P<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, blood lipid levels, diabetes, and hypertension, the BMI of subjects with H. pylori infection was 0.120 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.050-0.191, P=0.001), which was higher than that of subjects without H. pylori infection. Moreover, H. pylori infection was independently associated with a higher risk of prevalent overweight/obesity, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.09 (95%CI: 1.03-1.16, P=0.004). The positive association between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity was more evident among women, with an OR of 1.19 (95%CI: 1.07-1.31, P=0.001). Conclusion H. pylori infection was closely correlated with overweight/obesity. Control of H. pylori infection may be useful in reducing the heavy disease burden caused by overweight/obesity. Key words: Helicobacter pylori; Overweight; Obesity