Impact of Helicobacter pylori on hematological parameters among Saudi population

OBJECTIVES: To investigate prevalence and association between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 79 participants with unexplained IDA. The study was carried out between November 2018 to April 2020 in the College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University in collaboration with Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Complete blood count (CBC), serum iron, and ferritin levels were measured. Anti-H. pylori antibody was detected using anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection among IDA patients was 62%. There was a significant difference between female and male subjects with a positive H. pylori status (p=0.001). There was also a significant difference between females and males with a positive H. pylori infection according to red blood cell count, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean cor-puscular hemoglobin (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The current study shows an association between H. pylori infection and unexplained IDA with significant difference between postmenopausal Saudi females and males. This will lead to more effective treatment in IDA and the eradication of H. pylori, as well as the prevention of recurrence, which are necessary and may provide a significant reduction in the overall disease burden.