Helicobacter pylori infection: an added stressor on iron status of women in the community.

OBJECTIVE

To explore a possible association between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron status.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Ballarat (a major regional city in Victoria), population 78000, October November 1997.

PARTICIPANTS

160 women and 152 men, a subsample of participants in a cardiovascular disease risk factor prevalence survey for whom frozen plasma was available.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

H. pylori IgG antibody status by enzyme immunoassay; iron intake; plasma iron, transferrin and ferritin concentrations.

RESULTS

28% of women and 33% of men were infected with H. pylori. The mean (SEM) plasma ferritin concentration of infected women (59.3 [7.6] microg/L) was significantly lower than for non-infected women (88.8 [7.9] microg/L; P=0.002), after adjusting for age. Mean daily dietary iron intakes were similar in infected and non-infected women.

CONCLUSIONS

H. pylori infection appears to be an additional stressor on women's iron status, but the mechanism remains to be determined.