Association between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and hypertension among adults in Northern Sudan: a community-based case–control study

OBJECTIVE: The association between Helicobacter pylori and hypertension is unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori and hypertension among adults in Sudan. METHODS: We conducted a community-based case–control study (175 participants in each arm) in the Wad Hamid district in northern Sudan. Cases comprised adults with hypertension and controls were non-hypertensive adults. We assessed participants' data using a questionnaire. We also conducted rapid H. pylori antibody tests and binary and linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Multivariable logistic regression revealed age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.07), female sex (AOR 5.50, 95% CI 2.36–12.80), and body mass index (AOR 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.17) were significantly associated with hypertension. Moreover, compared with controls, a significantly higher number of patients with hypertension were positive for H. pylori (82/175, 46.9% vs. 46/175, 26.3%). H. pylori seropositivity was associated with systolic blood pressure (coefficient 3.811), diastolic blood pressure (coefficient 3.492), mean blood pressure (coefficient 3.599), and hypertension (AOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.82–5.46). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed a significant positive association between H. pylori seropositivity and hypertension. This finding supports literature recommending the eradication of H. pylori to prevent hypertension and its complications.