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A prospective study of infection and cardiovascular diseases: the Busselton Health Study

Katie A Coles1, Matthew W Knuiman, Aileen J Plant

  • 1Department of Microbiology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.

European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation : Official Journal of the European Society of Cardiology, Working Groups on Epidemiology & Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology
|October 14, 2003
PubMed

Insights

This study found no link between antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, or cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular epidemiology
  • Infectious disease research
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Infectious agents are investigated for their potential role in the development of cardiovascular diseases.
  • Understanding the association between specific infections and cardiovascular outcomes is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
  • To analyze serological markers of infection in relation to cardiovascular disease risk in a population-based cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study of 1612 initially cardiovascular disease-free adults from the 1981 Busselton Health Survey.
  • Serum samples were tested for IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, and IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori and CMV.
  • Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the association between antibody status and the risk of CHD and stroke.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of antibodies: C. pneumoniae IgG (24%), C. pneumoniae IgA (7%), H. pylori (58%), CMV (>15 AU/mL) (85%).
  • Estimated relative risk for CHD was approximately 1.2 for all antibodies, except C. pneumoniae IgA (<1).
  • Estimated relative risk for stroke was approximately 0.85; however, all 95% confidence intervals included one, indicating no statistically significant association.

Conclusions:

  • The study did not find evidence to support an association between antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, or CMV and the development of cardiovascular diseases in this Australian population.
  • The findings suggest that these specific infections are unlikely to be major contributors to coronary heart disease and stroke risk in the studied cohort.
Abstract

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