Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding: a case-control study

Aim of the present case-control study was to establish whether Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of ulcer bleeding.

All patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal bleeding between November 1994 and November 1995 were prospectively investigated and compared with hospital controls matched for age, sex, and race. We evaluated the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection, intake of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, use of alcohol, and smoking habits in patients and controls.

Included in the study were 128 patients. In 72 patients, the source of bleeding was a peptic ulcer (duodenal ulcer: n = 33; gastric ulcer: n = 39). Ulcer patients were more frequently infected by Helicobacter pylori than controls (72% vs 42%; p < 0.001) while the incidence of infection was similar in patients with non-ulcer bleeding and controls (52% vs 46%; p = 0.59). Conditional multiple logistic regression analysis showed that Helicobacter pylori infection (odds ratio, 3.3 [Confidence interval, 1.5 to 7.0]; p = 0.002) and regular use of alcohol (odds ratio, 3.1 [Confidence interval, 1.0 to 9.0]; p = 0.041) increased the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding while previous intake of aspirin (> 100 mg) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs independently increased the risk of bleeding only in the case of gastric ulcer (odds ratio, 8.1 [Confidence interval 1.2 to 56.6]; p = 0.034).

Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding. Our results suggest that Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are independent risk factors for peptic ulcer bleeding.