Helicobacter Pylori Infections among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Benghazi, Libya

Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is the most common endocrine disease, diabetic patients also suffer more frequently from [complicated] infections compared with non-diabetic patients one of them is Helicobacter pylori infection, it is a major health aliment in developing countries. Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] infection in Type 2 diabetic Patients. Methods: A cross sectional study recruited three hundred patient two hundred out of them were type 2 diabetics from Benghazi diabetic center and one hundred healthy individuals or non-diabetic patients which served as control group was taken from Benghazi medical center and Elhiaa clinic . Their ages ranged between 25 to 70 years, from the period of 2015 -2019. All members of the study were investigated for serum H.pylori -IgG by Elisa, blood glucose levels and HbA1c and Parasitic tests were also done for all patients. Socio demographic characteristics were taken during the interview. Results: The results revealed that the overall prevalence of infection with Helicobacter pylori among Type2 diabetic patients were 144 [72.0%] with highly significant difference [p=0.000] compared to 49% of the non-diabetic group. Our results show that there was no statistical difference in H. pylori positivity according to gender smoking history and education level in diabetic and non-diabetic while presence of parasitic infestation and gastrointestinal symptoms in H. pylori positive patients were statistically different between diabetic and non-diabetic group being higher in diabetics. H. pylori was statistically more prevalent in diabetic with higher fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c. Diabetes duration was not predictor for H. pylori infection