TABLE 2.

Clinical characteristics of patients with respect to H. pylori DNA positivity

Parameter	Patients that are H. pylori:		P
	Positive (n = 17)	Negative (n = 29)
Mean age ± SD	61 ± 10	60 ± 9	0.803
Sex (no. male/no. female)	15/2	27/2	0.576
No. of patients (%) with:
Hypertension	4 (24)	16 (55)	0.039
Diabetes	3 (18)	5 (17)	0.972
Smoking history	10 (59)	24 (83)	0.078
Family history	3 (18)	4 (14)	0.728
Total cholesterol level  (mean mg/dl ± SD)	219 ± 63	241 ± 70	0.306