Ulcer bug strongly linked to irregular heartbeat

	Tweet

The gastric microbe, Helicobacter pylori, that’s the cause of most stomach ulcers also takes it out on the heart, according to new research.

They found that people with rapid beating of the upper chamber of the heart, Atrial Fibrillation, are nearly 20 times more likely to be infected with Helicobacter than are healthy “controls,” according to a report in the medical journal Heart.

While the exact mechanism is unknown, Dr. A. S. Montenero, from Policlinico Multimedica in Milan, and colleagues theorize that it may relate to autoantibodies that develop in some H. pylori-infected patients.

These antibodies, which normally attack an acid pump found on gastric cells, may instead attack a similar pump on cardiac cells, ultimately triggering Atrial Fibrillation.

The new findings are based on a study of H. pylori tests in 59 patients with atrial fibrillation and 45 healthy controls.

In the overall analysis, 97.2 percent of atrial fibrillation patients were positive for H. pylori compared with just 5.3 percent of controls.

While the link is “highly significant,” the investigators note that “more data will be necessary from controlled studies to further identify how H. pylori can influence the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation.”

SOURCE: Heart, July 2005.

RELATED STORIES:
Diabetes & Elevated Cholesterol Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s   FDA Allows Qualified Health Claim to Decrease Risk of Coronary Heart Disease   Frequent tipple cuts heart risk   Heart disease patients often skip flu shots   Blood pressure drugs’ benefits similar for blacks   Sibling history may raise heart disease risk   Nicotine May Accelerate Atherosclerosis, May Be as Dangerous as Tar   Vitamin E linked to increased risk of heart failure   Two drugs lower cholesterol better than one   Anti-inflammatory protein cuts heart attack risk   Using chest compressions first just as successful as immediate defibrillation after cardiac arrest   Wrong Dose of Heart Meds Too Frequent in Children

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]