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Components of metabolic syndrome increased mortality in hepatitis C patients
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Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver
Higher overall and liver-related mortality were associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension in patients with hepatitis C when compared with those without.
“This is the largest population-based study to provide the strongest evidence confirming an association between components of metabolic syndrome, especially type 2 diabetes and obesity, with adverse mortality outcomes” for patients with hepatitis C, Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH, of the Center for Liver Diseases at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., said in a press release.
The data were presented yesterday at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Researchers examined data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Linked Mortality Files to determine the effect of components of metabolic syndrome on the mortality of people with hepatitis C. Study participants included 264 patients with hepatitis C and 13,004 people without.
After adjustments, patients with hepatitis C had higher overall mortality (HR=2.80; 95% CI, 2.79-2.81), a higher rate for mortality from solid organ malignancy (HR=1.601; 95% CI, 1.587-1.616), liver-related mortality (HR=17.96; 95% CI, 17.80-18.12) and type 2 diabetes related–mortality (HR=18.55; 95% CI, 18.36-18.74) when compared with those without hepatitis C.
Higher BMI, presence of insulin resistance and elevated serum cholesterol were the top three predictors for liver-related mortality in patients with hepatitis C. Hypertension (HR=1.408; 95% CI, 1.394-1.422), higher BMI (HR=1.054; 95% CI, 1.53-1.055) and components of metabolic syndrome (HR=2.139; 95% CI, 2.11-2.16) were all associated with an increase in overall mortality in patients with hepatitis C.
In addition, higher BMI (HR=1.275; 95% CI, 1.274-1.277) and hypertension (HR=3.751; 95% CI, 3.653-3.851) were associated with increased liver-related mortality in patients with hepatitis C.
“These data should help us not only develop better targeted treatment strategies for hepatitis C patients but also encourage public health policies to address the increasing epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes that may affect a large number of the population, including those [who have] hepatitis C,” Younossi said.
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