Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as one of the diagnostic markers of hypertension

Abstract

High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Our previous study found that washed microbiota transplantation had a significant antihypertensive effect on patients with hypertension. This retrospective study was designed to assess the association between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and hypertension. After primary intestinal disease was excluded, methane hydrogen breath test was used to diagnose intestinal bacterial overgrowth and the positive rate of SIBO was compared between hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups. The risk of SIBO occurrence from various related factors is analyzed comprehensively. After excluding secondary hypertension, compare the prevalence of hypertension in the SIBO + and SIBO - groups. Finally, the risk degree of the occurrence and development of hypertension was analyzed comprehensively. After excluding primary intestinal disease, 263 patients with hypertension and 480 patients without hypertension were enrolled. The positive rate of SIBO in hypertensive patients was significantly higher than that in non-hypertensive patients (49.00% vs. 37.50%, P = 0.002). Logistic regression adjusted for confounding factors, hypertension was a risk factor for positive SIBO (OR = 1.478, 95% CI: 1.039–2.102, P = 0.03). Excluding secondary hypertension, 333 patients with SIBO + group and 454 patients with SIBO - group were included. The prevalence of hypertension in SIBO + patients was significantly higher than that in SIBO - patients (41.10% vs. 31.50%, P = 0.005). The positive rate of SIBO in hypertensive patients is higher than that in non-hypertensive patients. The prevalence of hypertension in patients with positive SIBO is higher than that in patients with negative SIBO. The SIBO is closely related to hypertension, which can be as one of the diagnostic markers of hypertension.