The role of Helicobacter pylori in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Classical risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases do n ot fully coincide with the prevalence of these conditions. Emerging evidenc es show that new factors may be predisposing for the development of ischemi c events. It has been demonstrated that atherosclerosis has a strong inflam matory background; such state of chronic inflammation may be related to the presence of persistent infectious agent. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), among other microorganisms, has been extensively investigated for its possi ble role. Many molecular mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain its e ventual action. Epidemiological studies do not exclude a correlation betwee n the infection and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Many confo unding factors, however, make difficult a definitive evaluation of the huge number of data present in the literature. Moreover, various therapeutic st udies have been attempted to show if antibiotic treatment improves prognosi s in patients affected by ischemic heart disease. Still, none of these tria ls focused specifically on the effects of H. pylori eradication on the clin ical progression of vascular lesions.