Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Cigarette and Nargileh Smoking Males in Erbil City, Iraq

Background: Smoking is the foremost public health problem affecting the world and it has a crucial implication in causing many common diseases due to Helicobacter pylori infection which is globally distributed. Smoking is considered a critical risk factor that accelerates infection with this bacterium. Objectives: The study’s goal was to find out how common Helicobacter pylori infections were among male cigarette and nargileh smokers. Materials and methods: A case-control study was performed between August and December 2021in Erbil Teaching Hospital in Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Blood samples were collected and used for detection of anti- Helicobacter pylori IgG Ab for 80 males who were smokers and 80 who were non-smoker. Results: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori positivity was 64.9% in smokers and 45.5% in nonsmokers (P-Value = 0.03). The highest percentage (54.1%) was found in the young age group (25-34) years (P-Value = 0.05), and 89.2% of Helicobacter pylori -positive individuals exhibited stomach symptoms (P-Value = 0.01). Fifty percent of Helicobacter pylori -infected individuals were nargileh smokers. Conclusion: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori showed significant value in nargileh smoking males. Therefore, smoking was a key factor in the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori and had a substantial impact on it.