Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with coronary artery disease: is it an independent risk factor?

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a dilemma and a serious cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since CAD has been seen in people without the conventional risk factors like smoking, diabetes, and hypertension, the infectious theory being a risk factor has arisen. MAIN BODY: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is the most common infection affecting the vast majority of the population worldwide. HP grows in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and responsible for chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. A review of medical literature mainly PubMed has revealed several studies reporting that HP pathogenesis extends beyond the GIT to be a predisposing factor for atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, thrombosis, and CAD. However, it remains a controversial issue that warrants extensive research. CONCLUSION: This article gives insight into the diversity of opinions, evidence, and theories regarding the association between HP infection and CAD. The idea that CAD may be managed with antibiotics in certain patients seems to be creative and inspiring. More research is mandatory to either verify or reject this proposed correlation with strong scientific evidence and also to demonstrate the implications of the results on CAD management and outcome.