Helicobacter pylori Infection Is Not Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Two-Year Cohort Study

Introduction: Previous studies reported inconsistent results of the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: A cohort study of 2,063 adults without NAFLD at baseline, who participated in a repeated health checkup including a ¹³C-urea breath test and abdominal ultrasonography, was conducted to evaluate the link between H. pylori infection and NAFLD development. Results: During a mean follow-up period of 1.7 years, we did not find a significant association between H. pylori infection and NAFLD (hazard ratio = 1.10 (0.86, 1.40), p = 0.4689). We also found that higher age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (systolic BP), diastolic blood pressure (diastolic BP), fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were risk factors, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was a protective factor for NAFLD development. Conclusion: H. pylori infection might not be positively related to NAFLD development.