Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Patients in the Northern Part of Afghanistan: a Cross-Sectional Study in Andkhoy City

Helicobacter pylori-Related Extraintestinal Manifestations—Myth or Reality

It is well documented that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can cause both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. The latter one represents a major burden in terms of diagnosis and treatment. H. pylori-associated systemic subclinical inflammation is mostly responsible for the development of extraintestinal manifestations, and its early eradication might result in preventing all adverse events related to their occurrence. Thus, it was suggested that H. pylori might be associated with iron deficiency anemia, thrombocytopenia (immune thrombocytopenic purpura), Schonlein Henoch purpura, failure to thrive, vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain neurological conditions. Nevertheless, studies showed both pros and cons in terms of the role of H. pylori in the development of previously mentioned clinical entity underlining the crucial need for further studies on these topics. Although most of these extraintestinal manifestations occur during adulthood, we must not forget that H. pylori infection is acquired mainly during childhood, and thus its early diagnosis and eradication might represent the cornerstone in the prevention of H. pylori-induced inflammatory status and consequently of all related extraintestinal conditions.

Self-reported adverse drug effects and associated factors among H. pylori infected patients on standard triple therapy: Prospective follow up study

Background

One of the most common reasons for poor medication adherence and associated treatment failure of triple therapy is adverse drug effect (ADEs) of medications.

Objective

Assessment of ADEs and associated factors during H. pylori eradication therapy.

Method

Consented H. pylori positive adult outpatients on standard triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin and clarithromycin) were involved in this facility based follow up study from May 2016 to April 2018 at Bahir Dar city in Ethiopia. Pre-developed questionnaire and formats were used to collect sociodemographic, medical information, and patient practice data before, during, and after therapy. Bivariate and backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze data. P-value < 0.05 at 95%CI was considered as significant.

Result

A total of 421 patients were involved in the study. Almost 80% of the patients were urban residents. Mean (±SD) age and body weight of patients were 30.63 (± 10.74) years and 56.79 (± 10.17) kg, respectively. ADE was reported from 26.1% of the patients and of all the reported ADEs, more than 85% was manifested with gastrointestinal symptoms which include gastrointestinal discomfort(39.1%), nausea (13.6%), constipation(12.7%), diarrhea(12.9%) and anorexia(10%). Determinants of self-reported ADEs among patients in the present study were body mass index above 25 (AOR: 2.55; 95%CI (1.21–5.38), p = 0.014), duration of acid-pepsin disorder more than 3weeks (AOR: 3.57; 95%CI (1.63–7.81), p = 0.001), pain feeling during long interval between meals (AOR: 2.14; 95%CI (1.19–3.84), p = 0.011), and residence in urban area (AOR: 1.95; 95% CI (1.04–3.67), p = 0.038).

Conclusion

Significant proportion of patients reported ADEs which commonly manifested with gastrointestinal symptoms. Consideration of patients’ body mass index, duration of the disorder, period of the day when patients feel pain, and patients’ area of residence could help to reduce ADEs experienced during H. pylori eradication therapy.

The prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking and its association with opium use among outpatients in Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study in Andkhoy city

PURPOSE

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking and the association between cigarette smoking and opium use among patients visiting an outpatient clinic in Afghanistan.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive patients aged 18 years and older from January 2018 to April 2018. Data on patients' sociodemographic characteristics and clinical variables were collected using an interview-based survey.

RESULTS

Six hundred and twenty-two patients (391males vs. 231 females) were interviewed for this study. The overall prevalence of current smoking was 50.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 46.2-54.2). Males were (odds ratio [OR] = 9.5; 95% CI: 5.3-17.1) more likely to smoke cigarettes than females. The odds of current cigarette smoking increased with having a family member smoker or a friend smoker (OR =3.3; 95% CI: 2.0-5.3). Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with the level of education (illiterate OR = 8.9; 95% CI: 4.0-19.8), primary/private education (OR = 7.8; 95% CI: 3.9-15.6), and secondary education (OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.3-8.4), with high school or higher education as the reference group. Rural residents were 3.7 times (95% CI: 2.3-6.2) more likely to smoke cigarette than urban residents. Opium users were 23.0 times (95% CI: 12.5-42.3) more likely to smoke cigarettes than non-opium users.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among patients visiting an outpatient clinic in Afghanistan was high, and there was an association between cigarette smoking and male gender, a family history of smoking or a friend history of smoking, level of education, rural residency, and opium consumption.

First-line Helicobacter pylori eradication rates are significantly lower in patients with than those without type 2 diabetes mellitus

Purpose: To assess the difference of the first-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori in patients with or without type 2 diabetes (DM) and to investigate the clinical factors influencing treatment outcomes. Patients and methods: In total, 719 patients with H. pylori infection were treated with 7-day standard first-line triple therapy, of whom 182 did and 537 did not have DM. Propensity score matched at a 1:2 ratio - for age, sex and body mass index was performed for the two groups, yielding a DM group with 147 patients and a non-DM group with 249 matched controls for analysis. Urea breath test was performed 6-8 weeks after treatment. Clinical and laboratory parameters were collected for identifying factors associated with failed eradication. Results: H. Pylori was eradicated in 74.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] =66.2-81.0) of the DM group and 85.3% (95% CI =80.8-89.4) of the non-DM group (p=0.005). Of 51 gastric biopsy samples cultured for H. pylori, 41 were positive. In the DM group, the rates of resistance to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline were 0%, 50.0%, 50.0% and 0%, respectively. In the non-DM group, the comparable proportions were 2.9%, 17.1%, 22.9%, and 0%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that DM (Odds ratio [OR], 1.771, 95% CI, 1.167-2.668, p=0.006), clarithromycin resistance (OR, 15.273; 95% CI, 1.687-138.269; p=0.015), and amoxicillin resistance (OR, 4.672; 95% CI, 2.431-8.979; p<0.001) were independently associated with failure to eradicate H. pylori. Multivariate analysis showed that clarithromycin resistance was the major factor independently associated with failure of eradication (OR, 25.472; 95% CI, 1.549-418.956; p=0.023). Conclusions: First-line H. pylori eradication rates in patients with DM were significantly lower than in those without DM, although neither group achieved >90% eradication.

Nass use and associated factors among outpatients in northern Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study in Andkhoy City

INTRODUCTION

Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Nass is a form of smokeless tobacco. It is used most commonly in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and is significantly associated with oral and oesophageal cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nass use and its associated factors among patients attending an outpatient clinic in Afghanistan.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed in an outpatient clinic in Andkhoy, Afghanistan, from April to July 2017. The study included 387 consecutive patients. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, which includes three main items: demographic, physical, and biomedical measurements. We performed binary logistic regression to identify independent risk factors of nass use.

RESULTS

The study included 387 participants, of whom 225 were males (58.1%) and 162 were females (41.9%). The overall prevalence of nass use was 48.8% (95% CI: 43.8–53.9%), with the Turkmen ethnic group having significantly higher prevalence than other ethnic groups (58.2%, 95% CI: 50.8–65.3% vs 41.8%, 95% CI: 34.7–49.2%). The mean and standard deviation of the age was 63.9 (17.2) years for nass users and 42.3 (17.4) years for non-users.

Based on a multivariate analysis, family history of nass use (OR=31.4, 95% CI: 12.5–78.5), illiteracy (OR=8.9, 95% CI: 2.5–31.2), rural residence (OR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.0–3.9), and unemployment (OR=5.4, 95% CI: 1.4–21.4) were associated with nass use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that about half of the participants were nass users, and nass use associated factors were family history of nass use, illiteracy, unemployment, and rural residency in outpatient clinics in Afghanistan. More surveillance data are needed on a national level to inform the development of strategies for the prevention and control of nass consumption in Afghanistan.