Helicobacter Pylori Infection: Association with Non-Insulin-Based Insulin Resistance Indices and Metabolic Syndrome

Authors Eman Mohammed Helal 1 Amany Mohamed Dwidar 2 Nahla Ahmed Khalaf 1 1 Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University. 2 Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University. 10.21608/ajgh.2025.415922.1089 Abstract Background and aim: A significant percentage of Egyptians have H pylori infection, but its association with insulin resistance (IR) remains unclear. Our goal was to determine how non-insulin-based IR markers — especially the metabolic score for IR (METS-IR), the triglyceride glucose index (TyG), and the triglyceride-to-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio (TG/HDL-C) — are distributed in an Egyptian population. Additionally, the study explored the link between metabolic syndrome (MS) and H. pylori. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study included 200 participants from Tanta University Hospitals. Group I included 100 patients who tested positive for H. pylori in stool samples, while Group II included 100 participants who tested negative. The study investigated the link between these indicators and H. pylori. Results: MS was found in 32% of participants, with 62.5% being H pylori-positive. H pylori-positive patients showed higher TG/HDL-C ratio and TyG index, but there was no significant difference in METS-IR. The univariate analysis revealed a link between H. pylori and MS, but the multivariate analysis identified age, hypertension, and waist circumference as the main risk factors. Conclusions: These findings show a clear link between H. pylori and the TG/HDL-C ratio and TyG index, which may help identify Egyptians at risk for IR. We also found that age, hypertension, and waist circumference were strong predictors of metabolic syndrome.