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Anti-HCV seropositivity not associated with metabolic syndrome

Anti-hepatitis C virus infection seropositivity was not associated with metabolic syndrome among Taiwanese adults, regardless of age, gender and fibrosis, according to data published in the Annals of Hepatology.

“Although many studies have tried to clarify the association between HCV and metabolic syndrome, very few studies have comprehensively focused on the relationship between HCV and metabolic syndrome by demographic variables such as age, sex and surrogate markers of liver fibrosis,” the researchers wrote. “The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between these two diseases in a large-scale cohort in Taiwan.”

Data of 30,616 patients seen at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 2002 and 2009 and diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were analyzed by researchers. The mean age of the patients was 52.4 years and patients positive for anti-HCV tended to be older in age and mostly female, according to the research.

Overall, positive anti-HCV serology prevalence was 2.7% and 28.8% were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome among the entire cohort.   

Multivariate analysis showed anti-HCV seropositivity was not an independent variable for metabolic syndrome, regardless of the stratification of patients by age, gender and fibrosis stage. High BMI, older age, male sex, high levels of alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, platelet count and fatty liver were associated with metabolic syndrome.

Furthermore, liver fibrosis stage was not correlated with metabolic syndrome among patients with anti-HCV seropositivity.

“Although subjects with anti-HCV seropositivity had higher fasting glucose levels and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to those with negative anti-HCV test, anti-HCV seropositivity was not associated with metabolic syndrome based on the current diagnostic criteria irrespective of age, gender and the stage of hepatic fibrosis,” the researchers concluded. – by Melinda Stevens

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.